Should politicians be able to run for multiple offices at the same time?

[Nichlemn]

Inspired by the thread about KY Republicans trying to change the law to allow Rand Paul to run for President and for re-election to the Senate at the same time.

Regardless of your feelings towards Paul, what do you think of this in the general case?

Personally, I see no reason why you shouldn't be allowed to run for as many offices as you like. If you want to run for House, Senate, Governor and President at the same time, good luck to you. If someone thinks there's something wrong with that, they can campaign against you on that issue and the voters can decide if it matters.

The biggest effect would probably not be on the Presidency, but on ascendancy to higher offices. Many lower offices (such as state legislative seats and US House Seats) are up every two years, at the same time as the next step up the ladder. Ambitious politicians would have less to risk and so would be more inclined to run in marginal races.

Even if you tend to generally dislike ambitious politicians, if you like electoral competition I think it would help. The candidate most likely to be swayed into running by virtue of not needing to risk his/her seat is probably a candidate thinking of running in a swingish district against a relatively entrenched incumbent, who would be very likely to win absent a strong opponent but have a fair chance of losing against one. Think say Corey Gardner vs Mark Udall in Colorado this year.

[Flake]

No

[Antonio the Sixth]

Didn't Biden do that in 2008?

[Mordecai]

Yes, but not more than two.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Only for reelection and President (or VPOTUS)

[H. Ross Peron]

I don't see why they shouldn't have the right

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I think so.

Didn't Biden do that in 2008?

Yes, as did Lyndon Johnson in 1960.

[muon2]

Only for reelection and President (or VPOTUS)

If it makes sense for the federal executive, why not also permit running for governor and state legislative office at the same time and give up the lower office if successful at both. Or why not mayor and city councilman?

With the exception of elected judges, most states treat running for reelection as equivalent to running for an office the first time (unless they are term limited). Incumbents already have significant advantages, and I wouldn't suggest giving them additional advantages.

[RedSLC]

I don't have a problem with this.

A different question would be whether holding multiple offices at the same time should be permitted. Currently, the only state I know of that allows this is New Jersey (where at least one member of the state assembly is also a mayor).

[SteveRogers]

I don't have a problem with it, but I also don't think politicians are entitled to a "right" to do so. If a state values maximizing the chance that one of their senators will run for and win the presidency, then the state should let them run for the offices simultaneously. But from the state's perspective that could be a ridiculous wast of resources because special elections are expensive. The state might also value senators who keep their promise to serve out a full term. It's a judgment call that state legislatures reasonably come to different conclusions on.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Only for reelection and President (or VPOTUS)

If it makes sense for the federal executive, why not also permit running for governor and state legislative office at the same time and give up the lower office if successful at both. Or why not mayor and city councilman?

With the exception of elected judges, most states treat running for reelection as equivalent to running for an office the first time (unless they are term limited). Incumbents already have significant advantages, and I wouldn't suggest giving them additional advantages.

I didn't even think of this; in my head, I was picturing Bill Nelson running for both Governor and Senator in 2018 or something similar to that, but I'd have no problem with a State Senator seeking reelection for his office and a statewide office, or a city council member running for Mayor and reelection.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

On one hand, we'd avoid the disaster of the Johnson presidency, but on the other hand, the Onion's portrayal of Joe Biden might be lost to us forever.