The Republican Party in Kansas and South Carolina voted to cancel their GOP presidential caucuses and primaries in 2020.
Republicans in two other states, Nevada and Arizona, are also expected to scrap their presidential nominating contests.
Canceling primaries and caucuses is not unusual for political parties when the incumbent president is running for reelection.
“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,” South Carolina GOP Chairman Drew McKissick said in a statement Saturday.
The Kansas GOP said it would not hold a caucus because “President Trump is an elected incumbent from the Republican Party.”
Information on the Kansas Republican Party’s national convention delegate selection plan. #ksleg pic.twitter.com/AAbgs9GYcj
— Kansas GOP (@KansasGOP) September 6, 2019
However, Trump’s long-shot primary rivals have argued that the cancellations give the president an unfair advantage.
“Trump and his allies and the Republican National Committee are doing whatever they can do to eliminate primaries in certain states and make it very difficult for primary challengers to get on the ballot in a number of states,” said former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh, who launched his primary campaign against the president last month.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld accused Trump of trying to “make the Republican Party his own personal club.”
