Report: Rand Paul is looking to announce presidential run on April 7

Rand Paul is reportedly ready to jump into the 2016 presidential race

Sen. Rand Paul will very likely formally announce his candidacy for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination on April 7, reports Jeremy W. Peters at The New York Times, citing "people close to" the junior senator from Kentucky. He will probably make his announcement in Kentucky, then head off to early primary/caucus states Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

Filing his papers 10 months before the Iowa caucuses would give Paul a leg up on his competitors, mostly in terms of fundraising, Peters writes, adding that "only his family’s doubts could change his mind at this point." Paul, whose Senate term also expires in 2016, needs to find a way to both run for president and re-election to Congress, something prohibited under Kentucky election law.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.