Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, said Tuesday he hopes that enough moderates like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush enter the 2016 Republican presidential contest to divvy up the vote and pave the way for a conservative nominee.

“I think that the more, the merrier as far as I’m concerned,” the potential 2016 contender said Tuesday on Fox News. “I think we have [a] place in the party for moderates like Christie and Bush and Romney, and then there will also be conservatives. And hopefully, at least from a conservative point of view, we hope the moderates will divide up the vote and maybe allow a conservative to be the nominee.”

“It’s been quite a while since we’ve really had the conservative come forward as the nominee,” Mr. Paul added.

He said he’ll still do a lot of traveling in the spring, presenting a unique message and “trying to let Republicans know that the same old, same old we don’t think will win again.”

“I think some of the libertarian ideas and issues that I put forward, as well as being a conservative, the libertarian issues give a little bit of an edge that brings in … young people, working class, people concerned with privacy, minorities who are concerned with minority rights and individual rights,” Mr. Paul said.

He is, for example, pushing legislation again this week that would reform rules on the federal government’s ability to take property from people accused of committing crimes — an issue that has attracted attention among Democratic circles as well.

“So I think there are a lot of things that are different and I think we’re going to need something different — the question to me is whether or not that message will resonate,” he said.

He went on to say he wouldn’t want to get involved “just to do it,” but would only do so if he really believes he has a chance to win.

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