The South Carolina Republican Party announced Saturday that the State Executive Committee has decided to forgo the 2020 GOP Presidential Preference Primary.
The decision will save taxpayers more than $1 million.
SCGOP Chairman Drew McKissick said:
“As a general rule, when either party has an incumbent President in the White House, there's no rationale to hold a primary, just as South Carolina Republicans did not hold one in 1984 or 2004, and Democrats did not in 1996 and 2012. With no legitimate primary challenger and President Trump's record of results, the decision was made to save South Carolina taxpayers over $1.2 million and forgo an unnecessary primary. President Trump and his administration have delivered for South Carolinians, and we look forward to ensuring that Republican candidates up and down the ballot are elected in 2020.”
SCGOP did not hold presidential primaries in 1984 when Ronald Reagan was in office, and 2004 when George W. Bush was in office.
The South Carolina Democratic Party didn't hold a primary in 1996 when Bill Clinton was in office, nor in 2012 when Barack Obama was President.