Paul vows to foot bill for switch to caucus in Ky. The change would allow the GOP senator to be on the ballot for Senate and president at once.

Rand Paul, trying to head off a rebellion back home, promised Monday to fully pay for changes to his state’s presidential nominating process that would allow him to seek two different offices in 2016.

The Kentucky GOP freshman is trying to convince his state’s central GOP committee to change Kentucky’s presidential primary to a caucus system instead. By holding a caucus, in which voters organize by local precinct and choose their preferred candidate, Paul believes he can circumvent the state’s prohibition that candidates cannot appear on the ballot for two offices at the same time. The senator is running for reelection to his Senate seat in 2016, as well.


Moving to a caucus system could cost $500,000 or more. And Kentucky party officials have grown increasingly nervous about having to foot the bill, especially as they try to reclaim the governor’s office this fall and retake the statehouse next year. With Paul struggling to gain traction in the presidential race and falling behind his rivals on fundraising, some GOP officials have grown more skeptical about making the change for what could be a lost cause.

On Monday, Paul sought to allay those concerns ahead of a critical Aug. 22 meeting where the 340-member committee will consider his proposal. It takes just one-third of local party officials to scuttle the plan.

“I will fully fund this caucus,” Paul said in the letter, which was provided to POLITICO. “I want to do it on a schedule that makes sense legally and financially.”

Paul plans to make the payments in installments. First, he said he transferred $250,000 to a state GOP account. He also promised to raise or transfer another $200,000 to the committee at a later date — once the final budget for the caucuses is finalized. Paul said an additional $150,000-$225,000 would be raised by charging fees on candidates who participate in the caucuses, with the party charging each candidate $15,000 to participate.

He noted the Republican Party of Kentucky’s decision was still contingent on final approval by the Republican National Committee.

“I want to make sure NO COUNTY CHAIR or RPK will be on the hook for ANY money for this caucus,” Paul said.

To win the endorsement of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Paul made a similar promise earlier this year. In March, the party’s executive committee endorsed the Paul plan after McConnell lent his backing.

While changing the primary to a caucus could help Paul initially, it does nothing to aid the GOP in the event that the libertarian-minded freshman wins his party’s presidential nomination. Since the state’s restrictions on replacing candidates are very stringent, some Republicans fear a Paul presidential nomination could cost the GOP a critical Senate seat.