Four states set to cancel 2020 GOP presidential primaries: report

Four states are preparing to cancel their 2020 Republican nominating contests over the weekend, Politico reported, citing three sources.

The sources told the outlet that South Carolina, Nevada, Arizona and Kansas Republicans are reportedly slated to scrap their primaries and caucuses, in a move that would demonstrate President Trump’s effort to shore up control over the GOP at the state level. 

{mosads}The report comes as Trump faces two long-shot primary challenges from former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld. 

The Hill has reached out to the state parties for comment. 

In statements given to Politico by the Trump campaign, state party officials in Kansas and Nevada suggested that they were pursuing such a move to save costs and use the money for other races. 

“It would be malpractice on my part to waste money on a caucus to come to the inevitable conclusion that President Trump will be getting all our delegates in Charlotte,” Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald said, referring to next year’s Republican National Convention. “We should be spending those funds to get all our candidates across the finish line instead.”

Kansas GOP Chairman Michael Kuckelman said in another statement obtained by the outlet that his party would have to spend an estimated $250,000 to hold their caucuses. 

Parties of incumbent presidents have canceled nominating processes in the past. The Arizona Democratic Party did not have primaries in 2012 and 1996 when former Presidents Obama and Clinton, respectively, were running for reelection. 

“As a general rule, when either party has an incumbent president in the White House, there’s no rationale to hold a primary,” South Carolina GOP Chairman Drew McKissick told Politico.