FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Nearly a dozen tea party activists, including one of Kentucky's most recognizable fiscal conservatives, have set their sights on state legislative seats.

Louisville businessman Phil Moffett, who finished second in the GOP's three-way gubernatorial primary last year, turned in candidacy papers last week to run for a House seat in hopes of helping the tea party movement get a foothold in the state Capitol.

Tea party activists have been so focused on federal issues in the past that they're only now beginning to flex their muscle at the state level. Their goal is to press elected leaders in Frankfort to cut spending, reduce the size of government, chip away at the state debt, and slash taxes.

Moffett said tea party lawmakers, if elected, could collectively push the legislature that direction.