Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes threatened a legal battle if GOP Sen. Rand Paul tries to get his name on the ballot in 2016 in both his race for re-election and in the race for president.
“The law is clear,” Ms. Grimes told WHAS-11. “You can’t be on the ballot twice for two offices.”
Indeed, Kentucky law says a candidate cannot appear twice on the same ballot — something Mr. Paul could have to work around through either a legal challenge, or if the state Republican party changes the presidential nominating contest to a caucus instead of a primary.
Mr. Paul is openly considering a run for president, but has only officially announced he intends to seek a second term in the Senate.
“I will not be bullied,” Ms. Grimes said. “I think hopefully the people of Kentucky understand that over the course of this past year, and I will not hesitate to seek help and assistance in the opinion of a court.”
The Kentucky state House is controlled by Democrats and has blocked efforts by the state Senate, controlled by the GOP, to change the law.
Ms. Grimes was defeated by soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the race for the state’s other U.S. Senate seat last month.
Doug Stafford, executive director of Mr. Paul’s political action committee, told the Lexington Herald-Leader it was “good to see her still fighting after such a huge loss.”
“Maybe, since she is talking again, she can finally say whether or not she voted for President Obama,” Mr. Stafford said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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