Rand Paul may only yet be a candidate for    re-election to the Senate in 2016, but the first-term Kentucky    Republican already is sprinting toward the race for president.  
    The libertarian-minded lawmaker is set to visit several Western    states this month before reintroducing himself to voters in    Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, and his team is working    to strengthen his political network in nearly every state.  
    At the same time, he is readying for a leading role in the    GOP's new Senate majority while pushing to improve a Republican    brand he says is "tattered."  
    Aides insist that Paul has not finalized his decision about the    White House, but his aggressive steps leave little doubt about    his ambitions.  
    "Everything's being prepared as if it's happening, with the    knowledge that the final trigger hasn't been pulled yet," said    Paul senior aide Doug Stafford.  
    Some see the son of former Texas Rep. Ron Paul, a two-time presidential candidate, as a    transformational figure capable of expanding the GOP's appeal    beyond its traditional base of older, white men.  
    While calling for a dramatic reduction in the size and scope of    the federal government, the 51-year-old Paul plays down social    issues such as gay marriage, criticizes a criminal justice    system that overwhelmingly incarcerates blacks, and favors a    smaller U.S. footprint in the world.  
    Rand Paul should expect challenges every step of the way.  
    About his father's legacy. About contradictions between his    past comments and today's words. About his willingness to take    on the status quo. About a Kentucky law that says he cannot run    for president and re-election to the Senate at the same time.  
    "I just don't see him getting too far with an isolationist    foreign policy and a pro-gay marriage agenda," said Hogan    Gidley, a GOP operative who previously worked for former    Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and ex-Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who have run for president before    and may again in 2016.  
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Challenges Loom for Paul as He Speeds Toward 2016