The Republican tidal wave that swept Democrats out of office nationwide didn’t solve U.S. Sen. Rand Paul’s potential quandary in Kentucky, where the tea party favorite could become entangled in a state election law if he decides to run for president and another Senate term in 2016. Legislation tweaking the once-obscure law to ensure Paul could appear on Kentucky’s ballot running for both offices simultaneously easily passed the GOP-led Kentucky Senate this year. But it died across the Capitol in the House, where Democrats remain in charge. This fall, Republicans seemingly had their best chance in decades to gain control of the House in a state where President Barack Obama is deeply unpopular. Had Republicans consolidated their power in the legislature, it seemed almost certain they would deliver on Paul’s request to change the law. But Democrats hung on to their majority, leaving the first-term senator and his supporters looking for other potential options.
State Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer said there’s a good chance the measure will come up again next year. The bill he introduced this year would have amended the election law to specify it doesn’t apply to federal elections. “Obstructing this could be a bad decision for them (Democrats) politically, to deny the opportunity for Kentuckians to vote for one of their own for president of the United States,” said Thayer, a Georgetown Republican.
But House Speaker Greg Stumbo said his mind hasn’t changed on the issue. “Back home, we think a person who can’t make up his or her mind about which office to run for isn’t fit for either one,” said Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg.
Full Article: Paul still faces ballot quandary in Kentucky – Yahoo News.