Rand Paul has a problem: He really wants to run for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination, but if he does so he can’t run for re-election to hold his Senate seat. Seems there’s a rule in his home state of Kentucky that does not allow his name to appear on the ballot twice. Hmm…what to do? Simple, you just try your darndest to get around that pesky rule!
Just last week Senator Paul wrote a pleading letter to the state GOP asking that the state’s Presidential primary be changed to a caucus, which would mean Paul would only show up on the ballot for Senator from the Bluegrass State. But the state party chairman says party members have “lots of questions” regarding the change to a caucus.
Should the state GOP pass on Paul’s suggestion, he may also try to litigate the matter in court. Paul and his allies believe the state ballot law doesn’t apply to federal elections. But an election law expert disagrees with this contention. Joshua Douglas, a professor of law at the University of Kentucky recently said:
“(The) law is absolutely clear. You cannot be a candidate for more than one office in the state of Kentucky. He cannot run for two offices at the same time.”
Paul may wind up in court whether or not he starts the process himself. Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes has said she will take the Senator to court if he chooses to run for both offices. Lundergan Grimes, when asked about Paul’s attempts, remarked:
“Kentucky law has prohibited a candidate’s name from appearing on the same ballot for more than one office for more than 50 years. As Kentucky’s chief election official, I will continue to administer Kentucky’s election laws and ensure that all eligible Kentuckians have their voices heard.”
Further complicating the change in state law Paul seeks is that the Kentucky House of Representatives is controlled by Democrats. Oh, and the Governor of Kentucky, Steve Beshear, is also a Democrat.
Poor Rand Paul. Seems he would so much love to be in two places at the same time. Maybe he can clone himself and make his dreams come true. Then again, maybe he could just follow the rules like the rest of us and make up his mind.
This article was originally published by the same author at LiberalAmerica.org.