“It’s certainly crossed my mind,” Paul told The Ballot Box of a potential run for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s (R-Texas) Senate seat next year.

New numbers out Wednesday from Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling found Paul was second only to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R) among Texas Republicans asked who they want to see run for the seat in 2012…

“I was surprised,” he said of the poll results, quickly adding that a run for the Senate has crossed his mind several times in the past, “so I don’t know that it means much.”