Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is polling at barely 3 percent in Iowa, but the Republican presidential hopeful could have a secret weapon in his back pocket on caucus day: 10,000 student supporters.
A new ad released Monday by Paul’s campaign touts the libertarian-leaning senator’s existing popularity among young voters while seeking to attract additional student support ahead of the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses.
With less than 30 days to go until Hawkeye State voters cast their ballots, “Students for Rand” — Paul’s youth-led campaign apparatus — is hoping to turn out 10,000 high school and college-age voters on caucus night.
“The Iowa 10,000,” as the campaign calls it.
“What if we made it our mission to flood the polls on Feb. 1 [and] show the world what the youth vote is worth?” ask a handful of young Paul fans in the latest “Students for Rand” ad.
“What if this election season marks the rebirth of student activism?” asks another Paul supporter.
Paul, who’s at risk of being relegated to the next GOP undercard debate on Jan. 14 due to low national and state-level poll numbers, has done more than any of his Republican rivals to court Iowa’s youngest voters ahead of the state’s nominating contest. His campaign believes it will pay off in the coming weeks.
“Millennials want someone real, someone authentic — that’s what Dr. Paul brings to the table,” Cliff Maloney, Paul’s national youth director, told the Washington Examiner. “I am confident his message will resonate on college campuses, in Iowa and nationwide.”
Paul holds the No. 7 spot in the Washington Examiner’s presidential power rankings. He will arrive in Iowa Thursday for a brief two-day swing.
