Kentucky’s Republican Party Saturday voted to change its primary to a caucus for next year’s presidential primary, a move requested by Sen. Rand Paul to help him run simultaneously for re-election to the Senate and the White House.
After a day of discussion, the party overwhelmingly voted 111 to 36 to hold a presidential caucus March 5.
Paul, trying to avoid a mess over a state law prohibiting candidates from appearing more than once on a ballot, personally lobbied for the change Saturday. The thinking is that holding a party caucus rather than a typical primary vote would help Paul avoid a potentially troublesome issue over his two campaigns.
“I applaud the Republican Party of Kentucky on their decision to hold a caucus in the upcoming Republican presidential cycle,” Paul said in a statement. “The people of Kentucky deserve a voice as the GOP chooses their next nominee, and holding a caucus will ensure that Kentucky is relevant and participates early in the process.”
“I am also grateful for the Republican Party’s trust in me, allowing me to run for re-election to the U.S. Senate and seek the nomination for the Presidency of the United States,” Paul said.
An issue Saturday, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported, was whether Paul would transfer $250,000 to the party to help cover costs for the caucus. “If the money is not there, the party will automatically revert to a primary,” the paper reported.