McConnell 'almost certainly' endorsing Rand Paul in 2016

By Eric Bradner, CNN

updated 6:55 PM EST, Mon December 8, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Washington (CNN) -- Soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he plans to endorse his Kentucky colleague, Rand Paul, in his widely expected bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

"I'm almost certainly going to be doing that at some point," McConnell said Monday in an interview with CNN's Dana Bash.

His comments -- a month after telling the Lexington Herald-Leader that he'd back Paul in "whatever he decides to do" in 2016 -- could enhance Paul's credibility with the GOP donor class. They also underscore how quickly Paul has been embraced by institutional figures to whom his father, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, was always an outsider.

Don't expect to see McConnell on the campaign trail, though.

"I'm going to be helpful to him in any way I can be, but I'm not going to be tromping around in New Hampshire and Iowa, I can tell you that," he said.

In backing Paul, McConnell will be choosing a favorite out of a Senate Republican caucus that includes several other potential candidates for president -- including Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida.

Just four years ago, the two Kentucky Republicans were squaring off against each other in a Senate primary -- with Paul defeating McConnell's choice for the seat, Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson.

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McConnell 'almost certainly' endorsing Rand Paul in 2016