Paul’s wife not opposed to his potential ’16 bid

Sen. Rand Paul’s wife, Kelley, said there are a few checkpoints left before the Kentucky Republican can decide whether to “pull the trigger” on a presidential run.

“I wouldn’t say that,” she said, when asked if she is opposed to a run. “I would say, though, that we just have a lot more talking to do about the subject.”

{mosads}The senator has joked in the past that convincing his wife is a key obstacle in his decision on whether to run for the GOP nomination in 2016. Last December, he said she was a “no,” but he was working to convince her. 

“I mean it’s something that you don’t go into lightly, being in the public eye is hard on a family and a marriage,” Kelley Paul said in an interview published over the weekend but highlighted by CBS on Tuesday. “I’m really proud of Rand, I think he’s doing an amazing job, so I’d love for him to be able to expand that, but we still have a few hurdles to cross before we actually pull the trigger on it.”

She said the decision is still pretty far away and the two do not “talk about it that much.” In the past, she has expressed reservations about the “character assassination” and mountains of opposition research that comes with a national campaign. 

Most potential candidates have said they will decide after the midterm elections, either late this year or early next year. Paul has made moves that signal a run, including visiting a number of early primary states and hiring more staff. 

When asked which way the senator is leaning, his wife said, “I think it just depends on the day.”