Poll: Kentucky voters oppose changing law to allow Rand Paul to run for president and Senate at same time

Sen. Rand Paul (R) might have an obstacle to deal with if he runs for president in 2016: the state law back home in Kentucky, which would not allow him to be on the ballot at the same time for both the White House and re-election for his Senate seat.

And now, another obstacle in a new poll: Kentuckians are squarely against changing that law, as Paul's allies in the state have tried to do on his behalf.

Only 27 percent of registered voters say the law should be changed, compared to 66 percent who say it should not. The Bluegrass Poll is conducted by SurveyUSA, and sponsored by a group of Kentucky media outlets, including The Louisville Courier-Journal. The poll was conducted from Aug. 25 to 27, and has a margin of error of plus or minute 3.7 percentage points.

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Even more ominous for Paul, only 36 percent of self-identified Republicans say the law should be changed, with 54 percent opposed. As might be expected, Democrats solidly oppose changing the law in question, with only 17 percent in favor and 78 percent opposed.

The Courier-Journal also points out that the Democratic-controlled state House blocked a bill earlier this year that would have allowed Paul to run for both offices. When the Republican-controlled state Senate passed the bill this past March, a Paul adviser told the Lexington Herald-Leader that the existing law itself might be unconstitutional — perhaps setting up a legal challenge at some point in the future.