Posted on 12/17/2014 9:46:06 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Defeated Democrat declines to address her political future.
Alison Lundergan Grimes, Kentucky’s secretary of State, is threatening to take Rand Paul to court to block him from running both for president and reelection to the Senate in 2016.
In her first television interview since Sen. Mitch McConnell routed her by 15 points last month, the Democratic Senate nominee declared that she will not be “bullied” by Paul, who is a heavy favorite to win a second Senate term if he’s allowed to stay on the ballot.
“The law is clear,” Grimes told WHAS-TV in Louisville. “You can’t be on the ballot twice for two offices.”
“We’ll look to the court for any guidance that is needed,” she added. “And at the end of the day, we’re not going to be bullied.”
Grimes also told the Louisville ABC affiliate in the interview published on Wednesday that she has not decided whether to seek a second term as secretary of State in the 2015 election.
The 36-year-old left no doubt that she continues to harbor political ambitions beyond the Bluegrass State’s chief elections official. She would be a top Democratic recruit to run for Senate in 2016 if Paul bows out.
Grimes said she knows “there’s a bigger plan in store” and pronounced herself “excited for 2015.” She’s also been talked about as a Democratic primary challenger to Attorney General Jack Conway in next year’s Kentucky governor’s race or against GOP Rep. Andy Barr in 2016.
“There’s encouragement from all different directions, no shortage of opinions, that’s for sure,” she told the station. “But no election should be run unless it’s in your heart and the facts are there to win, and that’s what I will weigh and to make sure is there before I make any determination.”
Grimes’ comments about Paul seem aimed as much at rallying her liberal base after a tough loss as anything else. If she doesn’t run for reelection as the state’s chief election official, she would have no legal basis to challenge Paul’s dual candidacy.
Republicans failed to take over the Kentucky state House last month, which would have given them control of the state legislature and the ability to override the veto of Kentucky’s Democratic governor, Steve Beshear. That would have enabled Paul’s allies to change the law to allow him to appear on the ballot twice, as some other states allow; Vice President Joe Biden was elected to a new Senate term in Delaware the same day he ran as Barack Obama’s running mate.
Paul has announced that he will run for reelection to the Senate, and his team expresses confidence that they will find a way legally to allow him to also run for president.
A Paul spokesman did not have an immediate comment on Grimes’ legal threat.
I agree.
I am certainly no expert on Kentucky law; but it is my understanding that it does, indeed, prohibit this sort of dual candidacy.
That said, however, it is clear that Ms. Grimes is hardly a neutral and disinterested source...
Rand Paul can run in the Republican primaries. I like him but odds are he will not get the nomination......
Then he just keeps running for Senate and gets re-elected. No big deal.
But it seems Kentucky law will not allow him to be on the November 5th 2016 ballot in a US Senate slot PLUS a President or Vice President slot.
Rand P has better chances of being the Republican Vice Presidential nominee. Then he will have problems
Here’s another.
“Staying at home does one vote worth of damage. Voting for Grimes does TWO votes worth of damage.
That’s why I urge people to vote for Grimes.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3186098/posts?page=67#67
Thanks, two examples is enough.
It’s a long way from running for the nomination to getting it. I would imagine the presidential nominee will be determined before he’d have to decide to withdraw from the race for U.S. Senator from KY.
If the Dems are SMART, they’d let Paul run for both where he’ll carry the water for whoever becomes the top RINO. Otherwise, they’re likely to simply have to keep him as Senator anyway.
Does it say you can’t run for a nomination or office?
I guess you have to look at it from a national perspective. His name can’t appear on the ballot twice in Kentucky, but there is no reason why he can’t just be on the ballot for Senator in KY AND on other states’ primary ballots for the Republican Nomination.
The question is at what point does he decide that he needs to be on the ballot for the KY Republican Primary for President and what his chances of securing the nomination are?
My guess is he’ll delay his inclusion on the KY ballot for Republican Presidential Primary just long enough to shut Grimes up.
why not?
LIEberman did...
Are you insane? Alison was in the pocket of the liberal establishment. She lost hear because even the most dimwittied LIV knew it, thanks t a carpet bombing campaign from Mitch's camp.
I know Mitch is deeply flawed. If should not run again, and I don't think he will. but the notion that Alison "I won't ell you if I voted for Obama" would have been an improvement is an insult to the Bluegrass State.
Just have the AG announce that with his prosecutorial discretion, this will be allowed.
ALthough I don't want Paul to run, this would be delicious. Heck I don't even know if the Kentucky AG is R or D... just like the thought of shoving "prosecutorial discretion" up their butts.
Who would have thought that a McConnell loss would have resulted in a win for the lovely lady? Naw, Couldn’t happen.
I assume her claim is about the primary ballot?
I seriously doubt Rand Paul will be on the general ballot for President. Doesn’t seem like he is a TP/FR favorite (Cruz rising) and he doesn’t seem to be a Chamber of Commerce Republican (GOPe) favorite.
I had early hopes Rand would be a good candidate but he seems to be trying to be “different” by pandering to everyone and everything.
Lieberman wasn’t from Kentucky.
No, Mitch is that bad as the incoming Majority Leader.
His name would have to be on the KY primary ballot for senator, even if unopposed.
I think the deadline for deciding on having his name listed for the presidential Primary is April 1 before the date of the May primary.
If he decided to be listed for President, I would think he would have withdraw from the senatorial race, and that might lead to no Republican nominee for the November election due to the April 1 candidacy filing requirement. Even if there is another way to have a nominee, the outcome would likely be turning over the seat to a Democrat.
He’d be best to stick with the senate. I can’t see him getting the presidential nomination.
“His name would have to be on the KY primary ballot for senator, even if unopposed.”
Right - his biggest problem is the primary ballot, and that’s why he is trying to get the KY GOP to consider going to a caucus.
By the time he’d have to file to be on the November ballot, he’ll know that he doesn’t have any chance of being President, and that he should stick to the Senate.
Ok. Thanks. Stay a Senator is ok. I wouldn’t vote for him as President though
He may not be worth keeping as senator. I just heard him on WHAS (Louisville) in support of Obama’s cave to Cuba.
I’m sure it gives her great pleasure to say this to Paul, but as long as the law is clear and she’s upholding it then there isn’t much he can do.
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