Paul close to announcing reelection bid

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is close to announcing his reelection bid to the Senate and may do so within the next few days, according to a source close to the senator.

{mosads}”An announcement on the Senate will probably come before Thanksgiving,” said the source. “In the next few weeks there will be an announcement. It could be as soon as before Thanksgiving.”

Paul is expected to run for both the Senate and presidency, though sources say his decision on a White House run likely won’t be made official until next spring. Paul gathered dozens of staffers from across the country last week in Washington, D.C. to plot strategy for a potential White House campaign.

Kentucky law bars lawmakers from running for multiple offices at one time, but Paul allies believe that law doesn’t apply to federal offices.

They also think there are a number of work-arounds to avoid conflicting with the law, including the possibility of Kentucky Republicans opting for a presidential caucus rather than a primary.

That would allow Paul to run for reelection in the primary and continue to seek the nomination through the primary, though the same problem would reoccur in the general election should he win the nomination. That could create legal headaches for Paul, though his supporters believe he’d win any court fights about whether he could run for the two offices concurrently even if Kentucky’s law isn’t amended.

“If he wins the nomination it’s very likely there could be a court action one way or the other,” said the source close to Paul.