Some weeks ago, the South Carolina Republican Party set a presidential primary filing deadline of September 30, 2015. That is easily the earliest such deadline in the nation for the 2016 presidential primaries. No other presidential primary has a deadline earlier than November 2015.
Here is the list of the 15 candidates who paid the $40,000 filing fee. Half the money goes to government election officials, and half goes to the state Republican Party. The party does not pay for any of the administration of the presidential primary.
The only candidate on the list who has not been allowed to participate in the debates so far is former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore.
I’m a little bit surprised Mark Everson isn’t on the list.
“…who paid the $40,000 filing fee. Half the money goes to government election officials, and half goes to the state Republican Party.”
Note, the Party pays at least $20,000 for the primary election costs. So where do these people get their information that government should not have to pay for primary elections costs when a primary is CLOSED?
No, the Republican Party does not pay for any costs of putting on the election. The government pays it all.
Also the South Carolina Republican presidential primary is open. Any voter can vote in it. Ditto for the Democratic primary in South Carolina.
Jim Gilmore did participate in the Republican “undercard” debate held on August 6 in Cleveland. However, he didn’t qualify for even the undercard of the September debate.