Rand Paul faces crucial vote Saturday

LONDON, Ky. Sen. Rand Paul came back to Kentucky late this week for a mini-campaign to win what has shaped up to be a crucial vote of confidence by state Republican leaders that will impact his political future.

At Paul’s request, the Republican Party of Kentucky’s 334-member central committee will meet Saturday to vote on a plan that would let Paul seek Kentucky’s Republican presidential delegates in 2016 while at the same time allowing him to run for re-election to the United States Senate.

“I think it will pass …,” Paul told reporters after speaking to a group of about 50 supporters at the London/Corbin Airport Friday morning. “We’ll be fine.”

His optimism aside, Paul’s other comments Friday still do not allay the biggest objection that some leading Republicans have with the plan – its cost.

The plan calls for the party to drop out of the traditional May presidential primary election and initiate Republican presidential caucuses to be held March 5. The move would solve Paul's problem with a Kentucky law that bars a candidate from running for two offices on the same ballot and allow him to seek Kentucky’s presidential delegates at the caucuses and run for U.S. Senate in the later primary.

Paul has pledged that he will provide enough money to assure that the caucuses – estimated to cost $500,000 – can be held at no expense to the Republican Party of Kentucky.

But Paul damaged his cause a week ago when he sent a letter to committee members saying he had transferred $250,000 to the party as a show of good faith. His campaign later corrected that letter, saying he had put $250,000 aside to be transferred as a down payment after the committee approves the plan Saturday.

Even some of his supporters say that on Saturday they want to see that amount transferred to the state party before the vote, or for Paul to show a check for that amount payable to the party that he would hand over after approval.

“”I’m looking forward to Rand making his case. I’m going to vote ‘yes’ if there's $250,000 in an RPK account ...,” said Kentucky Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown.  “We’re doing this to support Rand’s run for the White House. I don’t understand his hesitation to make the deposit, but it needs to be done or a check needs to be delivered by Saturday morning at 11 o’clock.”

Scott Lasley, chairman of the Warren County Republican Party who chaired a committee that drafted the plan for the caucuses, said many committee members want to see "that there are adequate resources and a clear path by which those resources will be made available with accountability to ensure those resources are there."

Jack Richardson, a committee member from Jefferson County and a Paul supporter, called the cost concerns "a red herring." Richardson said, "Rand has fully explained this and set aside money. This move has got to be done in order to make Kentucky relevant" in the GOP's presidential selection process.

During his London stop on Friday, Paul did not promise to deliver any money before Saturday's vote. "We have it already in a separate account. ... Where the money sits, I think is immaterial. We pledge to make up any difference."

Paul noted that some of the cost will be covered by a $15,000 fee that the party plans to charge each presidential candidate who enters the caucuses. And he brought up a new idea.

“Many states actually collect some money on the day of the election just by passing a bag and asking people for a dollar or two,” Paul said. “You have 100,000 people vote and they put a dollar or two in the bag, you actually wind up with enough money to pay for something like this.”

Lasley said while there may be some limited opportunities for local party organizations to raise a little money for caucuses, the pass-the-hat approach is unlikely to work. "Campaign finance laws make it difficult for that approach to be a meaningful mechanism for funding the caucus," Lasley said.

Paul is working hard in the final days to lock down a victory in the Saturday vote.  Thursday evening, he made his case for presidential caucuses to members of the central committee on a conference call.

On Friday he had three stops in southeastern Kentucky, the final one with Kentucky’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, Matt Bevin.

And the Paul campaign is inviting supporters to demonstrate in favor of caucuses at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Frankfort, where the meeting will take place.

“You can make your support for the caucus – and for Rand Paul – loud and clear by showing up in your Rand Paul gear ...," the invitation says. "We’ll distribute posters, T-shirts, etc. to the early bird arrivals!”

Reporter Tom Loftus can be reached at (502) 875-5136.