7 March 2024
TOPEKA (KSNT) – After a long campaign, Republican Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley took her name out of the hat today following Super Tuesday. But this late dropout won’t affect the Kansas Presidential Preference Primary on March 19.
With presidential hopeful Haley dropping out, we now know the race for the white house will be a rematch between Incumbent Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The Kansas Legislature provided nearly $5 million to reimburse counties for the cost of the primary. Thus begs the question, does a Presidential Preference Primary (PPP)in Kansas worth the cost? Kansas GOP party chairman Mike Brown tells 27 News yes.
Saying it allows the most people across the entire state to be a part of the process, and his Democratic counterpart agrees.
“It’s extremely important in this democracy that everyone has a chance to give their voice,” Kansas Democratic Party Chair Jeanna Repass said. “Now, I will tell you even though independents can’t vote, having a preferential primary as opposed to a caucus allows more voices to be heard.”
KSNT 27 News reached out to Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab to see if Haley dropping out would have an effect on the election, and we received the following statement:
“No. the filing deadline was January 19, her name, as well as anyone else that has filed with our office will remain on the ballot.”
With no changes to the March 19 ballot, 27 News asked both party leaders how they feel about a PPP now versus when Haley was still in the running.
While he wasn’t available for an on-camera interview, Republican Chair Mike Brown gave 27 News this statement:
“I feel exactly the same way I felt when I proposed this idea over a year ago. Our primary process is established in advance of an election to ensure a fair process, not a process influenced by personalities or people. To that end, the process has worked exquisitely and now Kansas will have a chance to show President Donald Trump and the rest of America, how much the great state of Kansas is behind him and the Republican party.”
“The Presidential Preference Primary is still extremely important,” Repass said. “Even though Nikki Haley has dropped out of the Republican side, we no generally know what the matchup will be, but this gives every Kansan a voice.”
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