Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is searching for a solution that will allow him to run for re-election in the Senate and also launch a presidential bid in 2016.
The Republican recently requested legislation from Kentucky Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer that could grant his wish, the Washington Times reported. Paul expressed to Thayer that a state law is unconstitutional if it is interpreted as preventing a candidate from simultaneously running for Senate re-election and for president, according to the newspaper.
Paul, who was elected to the Senate in 2010, has hinted that he is seriously considering a bid for the GOP presidential nomination in two years.
The senator ranked second among Republicans in a recent poll that asked Americans who they hope will run in the next presidential election, with 39% of respondents throwing their support behind the libertarian-leaning lawmaker. Only former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ranked higher, with 41%. Paul has taken steps toward the middle in recent weeks, including advising the tea party to be nicer to President Obama and adopt a more optimistic tone overall. Previously, he urged Democrats to return campaign money raised by former President Bill Clinton to protest his affair with Monica Lewinsky, an action viewed as a ploy to harm former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she contemplates a run for president in 2016.
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