Rand Paul to file for presidential caucus

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul plans to file for re-election to the U.S. Senate and to enter Kentucky's Republican presidential caucus following an event Monday in Louisville.

Paul pushed for the state Republican Party to adopt the caucus so that he could run for the GOP nomination for president while at the same time seeking to hold onto his U.S. Senate seat. A law in Kentucky prohibits a candidate from appearing on the ballot for two offices, in most cases.

Paul will be the fifth candidate to pay the $15,000 fee to enter the March 5 presidential caucus. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, businessman Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson have already registered to take part.

Paul, who has pushed to expand Republican reach into African-American communities, will sign his registration papers at an event at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Jefferson County Republican Party's West End Office, on Hale Avenue.

Some have questioned if Paul will even be around for the Kentucky caucus because he is trailing badly in the polls. According to Real Clear Politics's average of recent national polls, Paul is in 10th place among GOP candidates with just 2.5 percent of the vote.

Democrats are still seeking a top-tier candidate to challenge Paul, who they believe has been weakened by his lackluster presidential campaign.

Joseph Gerth can be reached at 502-582-4702 or jgerth@courier-journal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Joe_Gerth.