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U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) addresses the 42nd annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) February 27, 2015 in National Harbor, Maryland. Conservative activists attended the annual political conference to discuss their agenda. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) | Alex Wong via Getty Images

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul took his first step toward running for president with state party leaders on Saturday endorsing his plan for a presidential caucus in 2016.

The move clears the way for Paul to run for president and for re-election to his Senate seat without breaking a state law that bans candidates from appearing on the ballot twice in the same election.

The state GOP's central committee must still sign off on the proposal in August. But, more importantly for Paul, Saturday's vote by the Republican Party of Kentucky's executive committee was an early endorsement of his unusual plan for dual campaigns ahead of a wide open Republican presidential primary.

"I just want to be treated like many other candidates around the country who have not been restricted," Paul told reporters after the vote.

Paul has characterized himself as a "different kind of Republican," and campaigning for two offices at once would certainly set him apart among the Republican field. Of the numerous potential Republican candidates, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is the only one also up for re-election in 2016. Rubio has said he would not run for both offices.

Paul has gone to great lengths to reach out to minority voters, including sponsoring bills that would eliminate sentencing disparities in what he has called a racially biased criminal justice system and endorsing plans to restore the voting rights of some nonviolent convicted felons. But Saturday's vote was so important that Paul missed the events in Selma, Alabama, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the landmark civil rights march led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. And he missed an agricultural forum in Iowa, an early caucus state, where many of his Republican rivals spoke.

Saturday's vote was unanimous, but it came after two hours of debate behind closed doors. Former Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan made the motion, but he left quickly after the meeting without taking questions from reporters. Both Paul and state party Chairman Steve Robertson said the party was united. U.S. Reps. Bret Guthrie and Thomas Massie attended the meeting and others, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have indicated their support.

"I do think it's important that we kind of move forward with this. And the anxiety is there. I mean, I think about that, too," Guthrie said. "I just think it's worth it. I think it's worth the work."

The state GOP has established a committee to study the issue and have a report ready by the Aug. 22 central committee meeting.

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Kentucky GOP Clears Path For Rand Paul's Bids For Senate ...