Rand Paul 2016 Election: Republican Senator Offers to Pay For Kentucky Caucus Himself
In an effort to circumvent a Kentucky election law, Republican White House hopeful Rand Paul said he is willing to pay for the Bluegrass State's first-ever presidential caucus himself, the Atlantic reported.
Until now, the local GOP has selected its candidates for various posts in a primary. But state law forbids candidates from appearing on the same ballot for two different offices, and since he is up for reelection, Paul also wants Republicans to confirm him as their choice for the Senate.
By holding the new presidential caucus on a different date, the 52-year-old senator will be in compliance with the law, but the stunt is costing the local Republican Party hundreds of thousands of dollars -- a sum the senator has promised to cover out of his own pocket.
The son of longtime U.S. Rep. Ron Paul has already given the party some $250,000 for the explicit purpose of funding the new presidential caucus in March, and he has promised to turn over another $200,000 in the fall, which should cover the entire cost of the nominating event.
Still, his proposal to move to a caucus system still needs to be approved by two thirds of the state's central GOP committee, whose 340 members will hear his case at an Aug. 22 meeting, Politico detailed. In a letter sent to the party bosses, the senator sought to alleviate some of the concerns about the proposed changes.
"I will fully fund this caucus. I want to do it on a schedule that makes sense legally and financially," Paul wrote. "Of course it also allows me to pursue the Presidency while also running to serve again as your U.S. Senator."
Republicans in Kentucky had previously attempted to repeal the state law prohibiting Paul from running for two offices on the same primary ballot, but local Democrats had blocked their efforts in the legislature.
Also critical of the effort was Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, who criticized Paul in an interview with Real Clear Politics.
"Either run for Senate and do a good job -- or run for president," Trump said. "You don't run for president and by the way, if I don't make it, I will become your senator reluctantly."
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