U.S. Senator Rand Paul is still mum on a presidential run, but the Bowling Green Republican has worked behind the scenes for months laying the groundwork for 2016, having visited 35 states during the mid-term election season.
Kentucky’s junior U.S. Senator has repeatedly said an announcement won’t come until spring, but according to those close to him, the decision has already been reached. In an interview published Monday by Politico, advisers say they expect the campaign to be a ‘go’ by mid-April with an announcement shortly after as soon as his staff can organize a fly-around to early-voting states. His campaign would likely be headquartered in Louisville. Paul and his political team have scheduled a lengthy closed-door meeting Wednesday at a Washington hotel to discuss his future plans.
Within the next few weeks, Paul is expected to announce his re-election bid for the U.S. Senate, a race he is likely to run simultaneously with a presidential campaign. Kentucky law prevents a candidate from running for more than one office at a time, but aides claim they have found several ways to get around the law that includes possibly changing the state’s GOP primary to a caucus.