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Rand Paul on Monday, in his first extensive comments since Ted Cruz officially announced his presidential candidacy, made the case that hes the electable Republican candidate.

The Kentucky senator, hours after his Senate colleague jumped into the presidential race, suggested his more inclusive vision for the Republican Party makes him a more appealing general-election candidate.

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Ted Cruz is a conservative. But it also goes to winnability, Paul said on Fox News The Kelly File.

The senator said that he didnt watch much of Cruzs Monday morning announcement and declined to take any major jabs at his likely rival. But he did suggest on several occasions that the party needs to do more than throw out red meat to its supporters and rally the conservative base an apparent attempt to differentiate himself from Cruz, a darling of the conservative wing but a polarizing national figure.

We kind of come from the same wing of the party. And if you look at our voting records, youll find were very, very similar, Paul said. I guess what makes us different is probably our approach as to how we would make the party bigger. And Im a big believer that you should stand on principle and be true to your principles, but I also think that we should take those principles and try to bring in new people with them.

Paul, all but certain to announce his presidential candidacy in two weeks time, touted polling data showing him doing well against presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, in swing states and among independent voters. And he made reference to his outreach to the African-American community in Ferguson, at the NAACP and elsewhere outreach he has said is necessary for the GOP to expand its base and win national elections.

Im the only one that beats Hillary Clinton in certain purple states. Im the only one that also scores above all the other Republicans in whether or not I can beat her, he said.

Cruz on Monday became the first official presidential candidate in the 2016 cycle, announcing his bid first with a tweet and then in a 25-minute speech at Virginias Liberty University, the worlds largest Christian university. The speech, peppered with religious imagery, was aimed squarely at the conservative wing as Cruz vies to become the bases preferred alternative to establishment front-runner Jeb Bush.

Paul is expected to announce his candidacy on April 7 in Louisville, after which he will visit the first four presidential nominating states in four days: New Hampshire the day after, followed by South Carolina, Iowa and Nevada.

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Paul, reacting to Cruz, talks 'winnability'