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2020 Republican Party presidential primaries
2020 Republican Party presidential primaries
2020 Republican Party presidential primaries
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2020 Republican Party presidential primaries
← 2016 February 3 to August 11, 2020 2024 →
2,550 delegate votes (2,443 pledged and 107 unpledged) to the Republican National Convention[1]
1,276[1] delegates votes needed to win
 
Candidate Donald Trump Bill Weld
Home state Florida[2][a] Massachusetts
Delegate count 2,549[1] 1[1]
Contests won 56[b][c] 0
Popular vote 18,159,752[1] 454,402[1]
Percentage 93.99% 2.35%
2020 California Republican presidential primary2020 Oregon Republican presidential primary2020 Washington Republican presidential primary2020 Idaho Republican presidential primary2020 Utah Republican presidential primary2020 Montana Republican presidential primary2020 United States presidential election in Wyoming#Republican caucuses2020 Colorado Republican presidential primary2020 New Mexico Republican presidential primary2020 North Dakota Republican presidential caucuses2020 South Dakota Republican presidential primary2020 Nebraska Republican presidential primary2020 Oklahoma Republican presidential primary2020 Texas Republican presidential primary2020 Minnesota Republican presidential primary2020 Iowa Republican presidential caucuses2020 Missouri Republican presidential primary2020 Arkansas Republican presidential primary2020 Louisiana Republican presidential primary2020 Wisconsin Republican presidential primary2020 Illinois Republican presidential primary2020 Michigan Republican presidential primary2020 Indiana Republican presidential primary2020 Ohio Republican presidential primary2020 Kentucky Republican presidential primary2020 Tennessee Republican presidential primary2020 Mississippi Republican presidential primary2020 Alabama Republican presidential primary2020 Georgia Republican presidential primary2020 Florida Republican presidential primary2020 North Carolina Republican presidential primary2020 West Virginia Republican presidential primary2020 District of Columbia Republican presidential primary2020 Maryland Republican presidential primary2020 Delaware Republican presidential primary2020 Pennsylvania Republican presidential primary2020 New Jersey Republican presidential primary2020 Connecticut Republican presidential primary2020 Rhode Island Republican presidential primary2020 Vermont Republican presidential primary2020 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary2020 Maine Republican presidential primary2020 Massachusetts Republican presidential primary2020 Puerto Rico Republican presidential primary2020 United States Virgin Islands Republican presidential caucuses2020 Northern Mariana Islands Republican presidential caucuses2020 American Samoa Republican presidential caucuses2020 Guam Republican presidential caucuses
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Previous Republican nominee

Donald Trump

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Donald Trump

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Presidential primaries and caucuses of the Republican Party took place in many U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories from February 3 to August 11, 2020, to elect most of the 2,550 delegates to send to the Republican National Convention. Delegates to the national convention in other states were elected by the respective state party organizations. The delegates to the national convention voted on the first ballot to select Donald Trump as the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States in the 2020 election, and selected Mike Pence as the vice-presidential nominee.

President Donald Trump informally launched his bid for reelection on February 18, 2017. He launched his reelection campaign earlier in his presidency than any of his predecessors did. He was followed by former governor of Massachusetts Bill Weld, who announced his campaign on April 15, 2019, and former Illinois congressman Joe Walsh, who declared his candidacy on August 25, 2019. Former governor of South Carolina and U.S. representative Mark Sanford launched a primary challenge on September 8, 2019. In addition, businessman Rocky De La Fuente entered the race on May 16, 2019, but was not widely recognized as a major candidate.

In February 2019, the Republican National Committee voted to provide undivided support to Trump.[5][6] Several states canceled their primaries and caucuses.[7] Other states were encouraged to use "winner-takes-all" or "winner-takes-most" systems to award delegates instead of using proportional allocation.[8][9]

Trump became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee on March 17, 2020, after securing a majority of pledged delegates.[10] Donald Trump received over 18 million votes in the Republican primary, the most ever for an incumbent president in a primary as well as the most for any Republican in a presidential primary.[citation needed]

Primary race overview

[edit]

Despite his generally high approval ratings and popularity by Republicans throughout his first presidency,[11] numerous pundits, journalists and politicians speculated that President Donald Trump might face a significant Republican primary challenger in 2020 because of his historic unpopularity in polls, his association with allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, his impeachment, and his support of unpopular policies.[12][13][14] In August 2017, reports arose beginning that members of the Republican Party were preparing a "shadow campaign" against the president, particularly from the moderate or establishment wings of the party. Then-Arizona senator John McCain said, "Republicans see weakness in this president."[15][16] Maine senator Susan Collins, Kentucky senator Rand Paul, and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie all expressed doubts in 2017 that Trump would be the 2020 nominee, with Collins stating "it's too difficult to say."[17][18] Former U.S. senator Jeff Flake claimed in 2017 that Trump was "inviting" a primary challenger by the way he was governing.[19] However, longtime political strategist Roger Stone predicted in May 2018 that Trump might not seek a second term were he to succeed in keeping all his campaign promises and "mak[ing] America great again".[20]

Some prominent Trump critics within the GOP, including 2016 presidential candidate Carly Fiorina,[21] former senator Jeff Flake,[22] and former Massachusetts governor and current U.S. senator Mitt Romney[23] stated they would not run against Trump for the nomination in 2020.

In 2017, there were rumors of a potential bipartisan ticket consisting of Republican Ohio governor and 2016 presidential candidate John Kasich and Democratic Colorado governor John Hickenlooper.[24] Kasich and Hickenlooper denied those rumors.[25][26] In November 2018, however, Kasich asserted that he was "very seriously" considering a White House bid in 2020.[27] In August 2019, he indicated that he did not see a path to win over Trump in a Republican primary at that time, but that his opinion might change in the future.[28]

On January 25, 2019, the Republican National Committee unofficially endorsed Trump.[29]

After re-enrolling as a Republican in January 2019,[30] former Republican governor of Massachusetts and 2016 Libertarian vice presidential nominee Bill Weld announced the formation of a 2020 presidential exploratory committee on February 15, 2019.[31] Weld announced his 2020 presidential candidacy on April 15, 2019.[32] Weld was considered a long-shot challenger because of Trump's popularity with Republicans; furthermore, Weld's views on abortion rights, gay marriage, marijuana legalization, and other issues conflict with socially conservative positions dominant in the modern Republican party.[33] Weld received 1.3% of the vote in the Iowa caucuses and one pledged delegate to the 2020 Republican National Convention on February 3, 2020.[34][35] Weld withdrew from the race on March 18, 2020, after Trump earned enough delegates to secure the nomination.[36]

Former U.S. representative Joe Walsh was a strong Trump supporter in 2016, but gradually became critical of the president. On August 25, 2019, Walsh officially declared his candidacy against Trump, calling Trump an "unfit con man".[37] He then ended his campaign on February 7, 2020, following a poor performance in the Iowa Caucuses. Walsh called the Republican Party a "cult" and said that he likely would support whoever was the Democratic nominee in the general election.[38] According to Walsh, Trump supporters had become "followers" who think that Trump "can do no wrong", after absorbing misinformation from conservative media. He stated, "They don't know what the truth is and—more importantly—they don't care."[39]

Former South Carolina governor and former U.S. representative Mark Sanford officially declared his candidacy on September 8,[40] but suspended his campaign two months later on November 12, 2019, after failing to gain significant attention from voters.[41]

Despite the mostly nominal status of his opposition, Trump campaigned during this primary season, holding rallies in the February primary and Super Tuesday states.[42][43]

The president won every primary by wide margins and clinched the nomination shortly after the Super Tuesday primaries ended. While the results were never in doubt, the primary wasn't without controversy. Several states postponed their primaries/caucuses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and others continued with in-person voting[44][45][46][47][48] while Trump's claims about fraud related to by-mail voting discouraged expansion and promotion of such voting.[49]

Candidates

[edit]

Nominee

[edit]
Republican nominee for the 2020 presidential election
Candidate Born Most recent position Home state Campaign
Announcement date 		Bound
delegates[50] 		Popular
vote[50] 		Contests won Running mate Ref.

Donald Trump 		June 14, 1946
(age 74)
Queens, New York 		President of the United States
(2017–2021) 		Florida[51][d]
Campaign
June 18, 2019
FEC filing
Secured nomination:
March 17, 2020 		2,549
(99.96%)
(floor 2,550) 		18,159,752
(93.99%) 		56
AK, AL, AR, AS, AZ, CA, CO, CT,
DC, DE, FL, GA, GU, HI,[52] IA,[53] ID,
IL, IN, KS,[54] KY, LA, MA, MD, ME,
MI, MN, MO, MP, MS, MT, NC, ND,
NE, NH,[55] NJ, NM, NV,[56] NY,[57] OH, OK,
OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX,
UT, VA, VI, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY 		Mike Pence [58]


Other candidates

[edit]
The people in this section were considered to be major candidates
Candidate Born Most recent position Home state Campaign announced Campaign suspended Campaign Delegates Popular vote[59] Ref.

Bill Weld 		July 31, 1945
(age 75)
Smithtown, New York 		Governor of Massachusetts
(1991–1997) 		Massachusetts April 15, 2019 March 18, 2020
(endorsed Biden)[60]
Campaign
FEC filing 		1
(0.04%)
(floor 0) 		454,402
(2.35%) 		[61][36]

Rocky De La Fuente 		October 10, 1954
(age 65)
San Diego, California 		Businessman and real estate developer California May 16, 2019 August 24, 2020
(ran as Alliance, Reform, and American Independent)
Campaign
FEC filing 		0 108,357
(0.57%) 		[62][63]

Joe Walsh 		December 27, 1961
(age 58)
North Barrington, Illinois 		U.S. Representative from IL-08 (2011–2013) Illinois August 25, 2019 February 7, 2020
(endorsed Biden)[64]
Campaign
FEC filing 		0 173,519
(0.92%) 		[65][66]

Mark Sanford 		May 28, 1960
(age 60)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 		U.S. Representative from SC-01
(1995–2001, 2013–2019) 		South Carolina September 8, 2019 November 12, 2019
Campaign
FEC filing 		0 4,258
(0.02%) 		[40][41]


Other notable individuals who were not major candidates who suspended their campaigns:

More than 150 individuals who were not major candidates also filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for president in the Republican Party primary.[75]

Declined to be candidates

[edit]

The individuals in this section had been the subject of the 2020 presidential speculation but publicly said they would not seek the presidency in 2020.

Endorsed Trump

[edit]

Others

[edit]

Debates

[edit]
Main article: 2020 Republican Party presidential debates

The Republican National Committee (RNC) did not host any official primary debates. On May 3, 2018, the party voted to eliminate their debate committee, which, according to CNN, served as "a warning to would-be Republican rivals of President Donald Trump about his strong support among party loyalists".[132] Trump declined any interest in participating in any primary debates, saying he was "not looking to give [opponents] any credibility".[133] Debates among the challengers were scheduled without the RNC's involvement.

Business Insider hosted a debate on September 24 featuring two of Trump's primary challengers. It took place at the news outlet's headquarters in New York City, and was hosted by Business Insider's CEO Henry Blodget, politics editor Anthony Fisher, and columnist Linette Lopez.[134] Walsh and Weld agreed to attend, but Sanford had a scheduling conflict and eventually declined.[135][136] An invitation was also sent to the president, but he also declined.[136]

Politicon held a debate between Sanford, Walsh, and Weld on October 26 at its 2019 convention in Nashville, Tennessee,[137] and Forbes also held a debate between the three on October 28 at its Under 30 Summit in Detroit, Michigan.[138]

Both Walsh and Weld took part in a few forums that also featured Democratic candidates.[139][140][141]

Cancellation of state caucuses or primaries

[edit]

The Washington Examiner reported on December 19, 2018, that the South Carolina Republican Party had not ruled out forgoing a primary contest to protect Trump from any primary challengers. Party chairman Drew McKissick stated, "Considering the fact that the entire party supports the president, we'll end up doing what's in the president's best interest."[142] On January 24, 2019, another Washington Examiner report indicated that the Kansas Republican Party was "likely" to scrap its presidential caucus to "save resources".[143]

In August 2019, the Associated Press reported that the Nevada Republican Party was also contemplating canceling their caucuses, with the state party spokesman, Keith Schipper, saying it "isn't about any kind of conspiracy theory about protecting the president ... He's going to be the nominee ... This is about protecting resources to make sure that the president wins in Nevada and that Republicans up and down the ballot win in 2020."[144]

On September 6, 2019, both of Trump's main challengers at the time, Bill Weld and Joe Walsh, criticized these cancellations as undemocratic.[145] The Trump campaign and GOP officials cited the fact that Republicans canceled several state primaries when George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush sought a second term in 1992 and 2004, respectively; and Democrats scrapped some of their primaries when Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were seeking reelection in 1996 and 2012, respectively.[146][147] Weld and Walsh were joined by Mark Sanford in a joint op-ed in The Washington Post on September 13, 2019, which criticized the party for cancelling those primaries.[148]

Kansas,[149] Nevada and South Carolina's state committees officially voted on September 7, 2019, to cancel their caucus and primary.[7] The Arizona Republican Party indicated two days later that it would not hold a primary.[150] These four were joined by the Alaska Republican Party on September 21, when its central committee announced they would not hold a presidential primary.[151]

Virginia Republicans decided to allocate delegates at the state convention.[152]

The Nevada Republican State committee chairman said the committee would meet on February 23, 2020, and bind their delegates to Trump.[153]

The Hawaii GOP voted to cancel its primary and bind its 19 delegates to Trump on December 11, 2019.[154]

The New York GOP on March 3, 2020, decided to cancel its primary after neither De La Fuente, Weld, nor Walsh submitted the required number of names of their delegates in order to qualify for their ballot.[155] The delegate candidates bound to the president were thus automatically elected.

Other states were instead encouraged to use winner-takes-all systems to award delegates instead of using proportional allocation "to avoid dissent" at the convention.[8]

Timeline

[edit]

Overview

[edit]
Mark Sanford 2020 presidential campaignJoe Walsh 2020 presidential campaignBill Weld 2020 presidential campaignRocky De La Fuente#2020 presidential campaignDonald Trump 2020 presidential campaign
Nominee Exploratory committee Withdrawn candidate
Midterm elections Iowa caucuses Super Tuesday Republican convention

2017–18

[edit]
Incumbent President Donald Trump speaking at his first campaign rally in Melbourne, Florida, on February 18, 2017

2019

[edit]
Former Gov. Bill Weld announcing the formation of his exploratory committee on February 15, 2019. He launched his campaign two months later.
Former Rep. Joe Walsh announced his campaign on August 25, 2019. He withdrew after finishing Iowa with 1%.
Former Rep. Mark Sanford announced his campaign on September 8, 2019. He withdrew from the race two months later.
  • January 17: Former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld changes his voter registration from Libertarian back to Republican, furthering speculation he will announce a primary challenge against Trump.[160]
  • January 23: The Republican National Committee votes unanimously to express "undivided support" of Trump's "effective presidency".[5]
  • February 11: Trump holds his first mass rally since assuming the presidency in El Paso, Texas, with Brad Parscale, John Cornyn, Lance Berkman, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump Jr.[161]
  • February 15: Weld announces the formation of an exploratory committee, becoming the president's first official notable challenger.[162]
  • April 15: Weld officially announces his candidacy.[163]
  • May 16: Businessman and perennial candidate Rocky De La Fuente files to run.[164]
  • June 1: Speculative challenger Maryland governor Larry Hogan announces that he will not run against Trump in the primary.[165]
  • June 18: Trump formally launches his 2020 re-election campaign at a rally in Orlando, Florida, with Donald Trump Jr., Mike Pence, Melania Trump, Karen Pence, Lara Trump, and Sarah Sanders.[166]
  • July 30: Intending to force Trump to reveal his taxes, Democratic California governor Gavin Newsom signs a bill into state law requiring that presidential candidates release the last five years of their tax returns in order to qualify for the California primary ballot. Republican presidential candidate Rocky De La Fuente files suit directly challenging the constitutionality of the law.[167][168]
  • August 5–6: Additional lawsuits are filed by the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee, the California Republican Party, and the conservative activist group Judicial Watch to challenge the California law requiring candidates to release their tax returns.[169][170]
  • August 25: Former Illinois congressman Joe Walsh officially announces his candidacy, becoming the president's second official notable challenger.[171]
  • September 7: Three state committees vote to cancel their respective primaries/caucuses: Kansas,[149] Nevada, and South Carolina.[7]
  • September 8:
    • Former South Carolina governor and congressman Mark Sanford officially announces his candidacy, becoming the president's third notable challenger.[40]
    • As the California law requiring candidates to disclose their tax returns works its way through the courts, the California Republican Party modifies its delegate selection rules as a stop-gap measure, changing its primary from a binding to a non-binding one with a party state convention selecting its national convention delegates directly.[172]
  • September 9: The Arizona Republican Party officially notifies Arizona secretary of state Katie Hobbs that they will forego the Arizona Republican primary.[150]
  • September 21: The Alaska Republican Party cancels its primary.[173]
  • September 23: Donald Trump qualifies for the Vermont primary.[174]
  • September 24: Business Insider hosted a debate between Weld and Walsh.[134]
  • October 1: Deadline for state parties to file delegate selection plans with the Republican National Committee.[175]
  • October 26: Politicon debate between the main challengers.[137]
  • October 28: Forbes debate between the main challengers.[138]
  • October 31: Minnesota committee submits only Trump's name for the primary ballot.[176][177]
  • November 8: Filing deadline to appear on the Alabama Republican primary ballot. Mark Sanford and Joe Walsh failed to appear, while Donald Trump and Bill Weld both qualified.[178]
  • November 12:
    • Mark Sanford dropped out of the race.[41]
    • Filing deadline to appear on the Arkansas Republican primary ballot. Mark Sanford (who dropped out the day of the deadline) and Joe Walsh fail to appear, while Rocky De La Fuente, Donald Trump, and Bill Weld qualify.[179]
  • November 15: Filing deadline to appear on the New Hampshire Republican primary ballot. Rocky De La Fuente, Donald Trump, Bill Weld, and Joe Walsh all qualify.[180]
  • November 21: The California Supreme Court declares that the state law requiring primary candidates to disclose their tax returns violates the state constitution and cannot be enforced.[181]
  • November 26: Rocky De La Fuente filed a lawsuit against the state of Minnesota alleging that its ballot access law for presidential primaries is unconstitutional. Minnesota had previously barred all other candidates from its Republican presidential primary other than Donald Trump on October 31.[182]
  • December 6: The California Secretary of State released the list of "Generally Recognized Presidential Candidates" for the upcoming March 3, 2020 election, including seven Republicans.[183]
  • December 11:
    • The Hawaii Republican state committee cancels the caucuses and appoints 19 national convention delegates and binds them to Trump, who receives his first official victory.[154]
    • A state court affirms the South Carolina's GOP's right to cancel its primary.[184]
  • December 18: The House of Representatives formally votes almost along party lines to impeach Trump.[185]
  • December 20: North Carolina announces that Walsh and Weld will appear on the ballot for their GOP primaries.[186] Jim Martin, a business-operator from Lake Elmo, Minnesota, joins with Rocky De La Fuente in suing the state in supreme court for empowering the Republican Party of Minnesota to only print Trump's name on primary ballots.[187]

2020

[edit]

January

[edit]
  • January 9: Trump holds his first "Keep America Great" Rally of the year at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio.[188]
  • January 17: Early voting begins in Minnesota.[189]
  • January 18: First of a series of district conventions in North Dakota, which elect delegates to the state convention. The North Dakota Republican Party does not hold any presidential preference caucus or primary per se, but instead selects their national convention delegates directly at the state party convention.[190][191]
  • January 30: Trump holds a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, the largest event of the caucus campaign.[192]
  • January 31: The Kansas Republican convention assembles, where the second delegation to the national convention is chosen and officially bound to Trump.[193][194][149][195]

February

[edit]
  • February 3: Trump wins the Iowa caucuses, receiving 97% of the votes cast. Weld earns one delegate.[196]
  • February 4: Trump gives his final State of the Union address of this term.[197]
  • February 5: The United States Senate acquits Trump.[198]
  • February 7: Joe Walsh dropped out of the race.[199]
  • February 10: Trump holds a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire.[200]
  • February 11: Trump wins the New Hampshire primary with 84% of the vote.[201]
  • February 21: Trump holds a rally in Las Vegas prior to the Nevada state committee's "presidential preference poll."[202]
  • February 22: The Nevada state committee binds the state delegation to Trump.[203]

March

[edit]
  • March 3:
    • Trump wins all 13 Super Tuesday primaries: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Vermont.[204]
    • New York cancels its Republican primary after Trump is the only candidate to submit the required number of names of his delegates.[155] The candidates for delegate are declared elected.[205]
  • March 10: Trump wins all 6 races held on this date: Idaho,[206] Michigan, Mississippi, and Missouri;[207] as well as Washington (where he was the only candidate on the ballot),[208] and North Dakota (a non-binding firehouse caucus where he was also unopposed).[209]
  • March 14: All nine delegates in the Guam convention are pledged to Donald Trump.[210]
  • March 15: Trump wins all nine delegates in the Northern Mariana Islands Republican caucuses.[211]
  • March 17: With wins in Florida and Illinois giving him a majority of delegates, President Donald Trump becomes the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.[212]
  • March 18: Bill Weld dropped out of the race.[213]
  • March 19: Connecticut rescheduled its primary from April 28 to June 2.[214]
  • March 20: Indiana rescheduled its expected state primary of May 5 to June 2.[215]

April

[edit]
  • April 8: New Jersey rescheduled its primary election from June 2 to July 7.[216]
  • April 13: Trump won the 2020 Wisconsin Republican primary unopposed.[217]
  • April 14: Louisiana rescheduled its primary for the second time, moving the date from June 20 to July 11.[218]
  • April 17: Connecticut rescheduled its primary for a second time, from June 2 to August 11.[219]
  • April 25: The Alliance Party nominates Rocky De La Fuente for President with Darcy Richardson as his running mate.[220]
  • April 28: Trump won the 2020 Ohio Republican primary unopposed.[221]

May

[edit]
  • May 12: Trump won the Nebraska primary.[222]
  • May 19: Trump won the Oregon primary.[223]

June

[edit]
  • June 2: Trump wins all 8 Super Tuesday primaries: Indiana, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and the District of Columbia primaries.
  • June 5: The Republican Party of Puerto Rico holds an online caucus vote of party leaders in lieu of an actual primary, binding its delegation to Trump.[224][225]
  • June 9: Trump won both Georgia and West Virginia primaries.
  • June 20: The Reform Party nominates Rocky De La Fuente for President with Darcy Richardson as his running mate.[226]
  • June 23: Trump won the Kentucky primary.

July

[edit]
  • July 7: Trump won the Delaware and New Jersey primaries.
  • July 11: Trump won the Louisiana primary.

August

[edit]

Primary and caucus calendar

[edit]
2020 Republican Party presidential primaries, rules
  Open primary
  Semi-closed primary
  Closed primary
  Canceled

Some later primary and caucus dates may change depending on legislation passed before the scheduled primary dates.[228] States designated with a "†" indicate that Trump ran unopposed.

Date Total
pledged delegates[229] 		Primaries/caucuses
February 3 40 Iowa caucuses[230]
February 11 22 New Hampshire primary[228]
February 22 25 Nevada state convention
March 3
(Super Tuesday) 		785 50
40
172
37
22
41
39
71
43
58
155
40
17 		Alabama primary
Arkansas primary
California primary
Colorado primary
Maine primary†
Massachusetts primary
Minnesota primary†
North Carolina primary
Oklahoma primary
Tennessee primary
Texas primary
Utah primary
Vermont primary[228]
March 10 242 32
73
40
54
43 		Idaho primary
Michigan primary
Mississippi primary
Missouri primary
Washington primary†[228]
see convention below End of North Dakota caucuses†[209][231]
March 14 9[232] Guam convention[228]
March 15 9[233] Northern Mariana Islands caucus[228]
March 17 189 122
67 		Florida primary
Illinois primary
March 18 9[234] American Samoa caucus[228]
TBD[235] 29 North Dakota state convention[236]
April 2–4 29 Alaska state convention
April 4 – May 30 9[237] Virgin Islands caucuses[228]
April 7 52 Wisconsin primary†[238]
April 9 see convention below End of Arizona caucuses†[239]
April 17 see convention below End of Virginia caucuses†[240]
April 28 82 Ohio primary†[228]
May 1–2 98 48
50 		Virginia state convention†[240]
South Carolina state convention
May 9 86 57
29[241] 		Arizona state convention†[242]
Wyoming state convention[228]
May 12 36 Nebraska primary[228]
May 19 28 Oregon primary[228]
June 2 300 58
38
27
22
88
19
29
19[243] 		Indiana primary
Maryland primary
Montana primary
New Mexico primary†[244]
Pennsylvania primary
Rhode Island primary
South Dakota primary
District of Columbia primary[228]
June 5 23 Puerto Rico caucuses[225]
June 9 111 76
35 		Georgia primary[228][245]
West Virginia primary[228]
June 23 46 Kentucky primary
July 7 65 16
49 		Delaware primary
New Jersey primary†[216]
July 11 46 Louisiana primary[228][246][247][218]
August 11 28 Connecticut primary[248]
Other primaries and caucuses

Election day postponements

[edit]

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, a number of presidential primaries were rescheduled:

  • The Ohio primary was rescheduled from March 17, 2020, to June 2, 2020.[253] It was later rescheduled again from June 2 to April 28.
  • The Georgia primary was rescheduled from March 24, 2020, to May 19, 2020.[245] It was later rescheduled again from May 19 to June 9.
  • The Louisiana primary was rescheduled from April 4, 2020, to June 20, 2020.[254] It was later rescheduled again from June 20 to July 11.[218]
  • The Connecticut primary was rescheduled from April 28 to June 2.[214] It was later rescheduled a second time to August 11.[219]
  • The Delaware, Maryland,[255] Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island primaries were rescheduled from April 28, 2020, to June 2, 2020.
  • The Indiana primary was rescheduled from May 5, 2020, to June 2, 2020.
  • The West Virginia primary was rescheduled from May 12, 2020, to June 9, 2020.
  • The Kentucky primary was rescheduled from May 19, 2020, to June 23, 2020.[256]
  • The New Jersey primary was rescheduled from June 2, 2020, to July 7, 2020.[216]

Ballot access

[edit]

Filing for the Republican primaries began in October 2019. "Yes" means the candidate is on the ballot for the primary contest, and "No" means a candidate is not on the ballot. A “W” indicates a candidate qualified for the ballot but withdrew from the primary, the color indicating if the candidate's name appeared on the ballot (red for not on the ballot, green for on the ballot). States that did not announce candidates who are on the ballot are not included.

State Date Rocky De
La Fuente
(21)[e] 		Donald
Trump
(35) 		Joe
Walsh
(14) 		Bill
Weld
(25) 		Other
(12) 		Ref.
Iowa February 3 No Yes Yes Yes No [257]
New Hampshire February 11 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[f] [180]
Alabama March 3 W[g] Yes No Yes No [258]
Arkansas March 3 W[h] Yes No Yes No [259]
California March 3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[i] [260]
Colorado March 3 W[g] Yes Yes Yes Yes[i] [261]
Maine March 3 No Yes No No No [262]
Massachusetts March 3 Yes Yes Yes Yes No [263][264]
Minnesota March 3 No Yes No No No [265]
North Carolina March 3 No Yes Yes Yes No [266]
Oklahoma March 3 Yes Yes Yes No Yes[j] [267]
Tennessee March 3 No Yes Yes Yes No [268]
Texas March 3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[j] [269]
Utah March 3 W[h] Yes Yes Yes Yes[k] [270]
Vermont March 3 Yes Yes No Yes No [174]
Idaho March 10 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[l] [271]
Michigan March 10 No Yes Yes Yes Yes[m] [272]
Mississippi March 10 Yes Yes No Yes No [273]
Missouri March 10 W[g] Yes Yes Yes Yes[l] [274]
Washington March 10 No Yes No No No [275]
Florida March 17 Yes Yes Yes Yes No [276]
Illinois March 17 Yes Yes No No No [277]
Wisconsin April 7 No Yes No No No [278]
Ohio April 28 No Yes No No No [279]
Nebraska May 12 No Yes No Yes No [280]
Oregon May 19 No Yes No No No
Delaware June 2 Yes Yes No No No [281]
Indiana June 2 No Yes No Yes No [282]
Maryland June 2 No Yes No Yes No [283]
New Mexico June 2 No Yes No No No [284]
Pennsylvania June 2 Yes Yes No Yes No [285]
Rhode Island June 2 Yes Yes No Yes Yes[n] [286]
Georgia June 9 No Yes No No No [287]
West Virginia June 9 Yes Yes No Yes Yes[l] [288]
New Jersey July 7 No Yes No No Yes[l] [289]
Louisiana July 11 Yes Yes No Yes Yes[l] [290]
Connecticut August 11 Yes Yes No W No [291]

National convention

[edit]
Main article: 2020 Republican National Convention

Bids for the Republican National Convention were solicited in the fall of 2017, with finalists being announced early the following spring. On July 18, 2018, Charlotte, North Carolina's Spectrum Center was chosen as the site of the convention.[158]

In June 2020, disagreements with the North Carolina government over COVID-19 social distancing rules caused the major events of the convention, including Trump's acceptance speech, to be moved to VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Due to contractual obligations, official convention business was still conducted in Charlotte.[292]

Endorsements

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Donald Trump

[edit]
Main article: List of Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign endorsements
See also: Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign

Withdrawn candidates

[edit]

Joe Walsh

[edit]
See also: Joe Walsh 2020 presidential campaign
List of Joe Walsh endorsements
Individuals

Bill Weld

[edit]
See also: Bill Weld 2020 presidential campaign
List of Bill Weld endorsements
U.S. Executive Branch officials
U.S. Representatives
Governors
Statewide officials
State legislators
Individuals
Party officials
Newspapers

Primary election polling

[edit]
Main article: Opinion polling for the 2020 Republican Party presidential primaries

Rallies

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Main article: List of post-election Donald Trump rallies § 2020 campaign rallies

Campaign finance

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This is an overview of the money used by each campaign as it is reported to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and released on February 20, 2020. Totals raised include loans from the candidate and transfers from other campaign committees. The last column, Cash On Hand (COH), shows the remaining cash each campaign had available for its future spending as of January 31, 2020.

  Withdrawn candidate
Candidate Total raised Individual contributions Debt Spent COH
Total Unitemized Pct
Donald Trump[305] $217,716,419 $84,606,549 $45,436,572 53.7% $309,116 $132,721,328 $92,606,794
Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente[306] $15,302,964 $17,253 $4,395 25.5% $15,081,123 $10,472,140 $4,862,891
Mark Sanford[307] $107,485 $94,287 $29,013 30.8% $0 $108,932 -$1,447
Joe Walsh[308] $502,270 $181,467 $24,866 13.7% $315,000 $497,922 $4,348
Bill Weld[309] $1,881,398 $1,602,612 $527,904 32.9% $250,800 $1,863,208 $18,190

Results

[edit]
Main article: Results of the 2020 Republican Party presidential primaries
Trump:
  100%
  90-100%
  80-90%
  70-80%
Other:
  No Popular Vote

See also

[edit]
National Conventions

Presidential primaries:

Footnotes

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References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

2020 Republican Party presidential primaries

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The 2020 Republican Party presidential primaries were a series of state and territory contests from 3 to August 11, 2020, designed to allocate delegates to the for nominating the party's candidate in the . Incumbent President Donald J. Trump, seeking a second term, dominated the process with negligible opposition, capturing over 94 percent of the vote in states that conducted primaries and securing all 2,550 delegates needed for nomination. Trump became the presumptive nominee on March 17, 2020, after surpassing the delegate threshold, with formal acclamation occurring at the August convention in . Several states—, , , , and —canceled their Republican primaries or caucuses, citing the lack of viable challengers and directing delegates automatically to Trump. The challengers included former Governor , former Representative , former Governor , and businessman Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente, none of whom won delegates or significant support; Weld exited on March 18, 2020, following poor showings like 7 percent in , while Walsh and Sanford withdrew earlier in and November 2019, respectively. This outcome underscored Trump's firm control over the Republican base, with primary turnout low and no substantial intra-party debate on policy or leadership.

Background and Context

Incumbent President's Position

Donald Trump, serving as the 45th President of the United States since January 20, 2017, sought re-nomination from the Republican Party for the 2020 presidential election. His incumbency provided significant advantages, including control over party infrastructure through allies in the Republican National Committee (RNC) and state organizations, which prioritized his uncontested path to the nomination. Trump's position was bolstered by consistently high approval ratings among Republican voters, averaging 87% in Gallup polling from January 2019 through early 2020, reflecting strong base loyalty despite national controversies such as his December 2019 impeachment by the House of Representatives. State Republican parties in multiple jurisdictions canceled their 2020 presidential primaries or caucuses to streamline Trump's delegate accumulation, citing the absence of credible opposition and resource conservation amid his dominance. Affected states included , , , , , and later , where only Trump's name appeared on the ; these decisions, upheld in courts such as a December 2019 federal ruling in , effectively allocated delegates directly to him. By contrast, early contests like the on February 3, 2020, proceeded, where Trump captured over 97% of the vote and all 40 delegates. Trump mathematically clinched the nomination on March 3, 2020, following victories that surpassed the 1,277-delegate threshold required under RNC rules, which allocate delegates proportionally but favor incumbents through binding pledges and party loyalty mechanisms. This outcome underscored the institutional barriers to primary challenges against sitting presidents, as evidenced by the RNC's earlier resistance to rule changes that might have facilitated rivals, ensuring Trump's formal endorsement at the August .

Pre-Primary Indicators of Support

Prior to the first scheduled Republican primaries and caucuses in early 2020, national opinion polls consistently showed President Donald Trump commanding overwhelming support among Republican voters for renomination. According to a RealClearPolling average of surveys conducted from December 10, 2019, to February 11, 2020, Trump held 89.3% support, compared to 4.0% for Bill Weld and 3.5% for Joe Walsh, with the remainder undecided or scattered among minor candidates. Earlier polls in 2019 similarly indicated Trump's dominance, with challengers rarely exceeding single digits even in their strongest showings, such as in New Hampshire where localized surveys occasionally placed Weld in the low teens. Fundraising figures further underscored Trump's unchallenged position within the party. In the third quarter of alone, Trump's campaign and associated joint fundraising committees raised $125.7 million, dwarfing the combined $647,000 raised by Weld, Walsh, and —a disparity of approximately 194 to 1. Challengers relied heavily on personal funds or carryover from prior campaigns; for instance, Sanford transferred about $1.3 million from his congressional account but struggled to attract broad donor interest. This financial imbalance limited challengers' ability to compete for advertising, staff, or grassroots mobilization, reinforcing perceptions of Trump's inevitability. Institutional indicators from the also signaled strong pre-primary backing for Trump. In January 2019, an RNC executive committee panel approved a resolution expressing "unequivocal support" for Trump's candidacy, a rare pre-primary affirmation not extended to prior incumbents facing intraparty contests. By mid-2019, Republican-led state parties in , , , and opted to cancel their presidential primaries or caucuses, citing resource conservation and an intent to consolidate behind the incumbent, which effectively denied challengers and organizational platforms in those states. These actions, coupled with minimal high-profile endorsements for opponents, reflected a party apparatus aligned against any viable intra-party disruption.

Structuring of the Primary Process

The Republican Party's presidential primary process is outlined in the Rules of the Republican Party, administered by the (RNC), which establishes a total of 2,551 delegates for the , comprising 2,441 pledged delegates allocated via state-level contests and 110 unpledged delegates consisting of RNC members. A requires a of 1,276 delegates to secure the . Pledged delegates are selected through state primaries, caucuses, or conventions, with allocation methods determined by each state's Republican Party rules, often favoring winner-take-all systems if a exceeds 50% of the vote, or proportional distribution otherwise; states holding contests before March 1 face penalties such as halved delegations unless they are , , , or . The primary calendar commences with the on February 3, followed by the primary on February 11, caucuses on February 22, and primary on February 29, before expanding to on March 3 with approximately 14 states and territories, and concluding by early June in states like the District of Columbia and . State parties or legislatures schedule these events within RNC guidelines, which prohibit contests earlier than the specified dates for non-exempt states to maintain order and prevent front-loading. Voter participation occurs via secret-ballot primaries in most cases or participatory caucuses, with delegates bound to candidate preferences based on primary results, typically through one or more convention stages. In 2020, the structure deviated significantly due to incumbent President Donald Trump's dominant position and minimal viable opposition, prompting state Republican parties in multiple jurisdictions to cancel primaries or caucuses to conserve resources and allocate delegates directly to Trump. For instance, the Republican parties in , , , and voted in September 2019 to forgo their contests, citing the absence of competitive challengers and the need to avoid unnecessary taxpayer expense. Additional states, including , joined these cancellations, resulting in over a dozen states ultimately skipping formal votes while still adhering to RNC delegate rules by binding support to Trump via party conventions or automatic allocation. Contests proceeded in states like and , where Trump appeared on ballots alongside long-shot challengers, but these yielded negligible opposition votes, enabling Trump to clinch the delegate majority by March 17. This streamlined approach reflected practical adaptations under RNC flexibility rather than formal rule changes, though it drew criticism from challengers who argued it stifled intra-party debate.

Candidates and Campaigns

Donald J. Trump as Incumbent Nominee

As the incumbent president, Donald J. Trump automatically qualified for the Republican ballot in every state and territory, benefiting from the party's tradition of supporting sitting presidents for re-nomination. He formally announced his re-election bid on June 18, 2019, during a rally at the Amway Center in , where he emphasized economic achievements and promised to continue his administration's policies. Trump's campaign organization, restructured from his 2016 effort, raised over $1 billion by Election Day, with significant funds from small donors and party committees aligned behind him. Trump faced negligible opposition within the party, as evidenced by pre-primary polling showing him with 80-90% support among Republican voters, deterring potential challengers until late entries by figures like and proved inconsequential. The Republican National Committee reinforced his position by encouraging states to cancel primaries or caucuses, citing resource savings and unity, resulting in uncontested races in over 30 states. In the few contested primaries, such as and , Trump captured over 90% of the vote, amassing delegates rapidly. By March 3, 2020, following victories, Trump had secured more than the 1,277 delegates needed for , becoming the presumptive nominee on March 17, 2020, after surpassing the majority threshold. He ultimately received 2,395 of 2,441 pledged delegates, reflecting near-unanimous party backing. Formal occurred via roll call vote at the on August 24, 2020, in , where delegates unanimously affirmed his selection alongside Vice President . This process underscored the incumbency's structural advantages, including control over party infrastructure and loyalty from state-level organizations.

Marginal Primary Challengers

Former Governor launched an for a Republican presidential bid on February 15, 2019, and formally announced his candidacy on April 15, 2019, positioning himself as the first prominent Republican challenger to incumbent President . Weld, who had previously served as a moderate Republican governor from 1991 to 1997, criticized Trump for praising authoritarian leaders, alienating allies, and undermining agreements, while emphasizing and . His campaign struggled with fundraising, raising under $500,000 by mid-2019, and polled below 5% nationally, reflecting limited appeal among GOP voters loyal to Trump. Weld qualified for ballots in several states but won no delegates; he suspended his campaign on March 18, 2020, after Trump secured the nomination. Former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh announced his Republican presidential candidacy on August 25, 2019, framing his challenge around opposition to Trump's character and policies, including the 2017 spending bill, tariffs on China, and executive overreach. A Tea Party-aligned House member from 2011 to 2013 and later a conservative radio host who had initially supported Trump in 2016, Walsh shifted to decry the president as unfit and the GOP base as cult-like in its devotion. His self-funded effort polled at 1-2% in early states like New Hampshire and Iowa, hampered by poor organization and Trump's dominance in party infrastructure. Walsh dropped out on February 7, 2020, conceding the race's impossibility without winning delegates or significant voter share. Former Governor and Congressman entered the race on September 8, 2019, the day after his state's Republican Party canceled its primary, citing and concerns over federal deficits under Trump as core motivations. , who governed from 2003 to 2011 and represented 's 1st district until 2019, aimed to provoke debate on Republican principles amid rising national exceeding $22 trillion. His campaign logged over 100,000 miles traveling but raised minimal funds and polled under 1% nationally, failing to gain traction in a party apparatus aligned with Trump. suspended his bid on November 12, 2019, attributing the early exit to the inquiry diverting attention and the GOP's effective primary cancellations in over a dozen states. None of the challengers secured delegates or disrupted Trump's path to renomination on March 17, 2020, underscoring the incumbency advantage and party loyalty dynamics.

Declined Candidates and Their Rationales

Former Ohio Governor John Kasich, who had sought the Republican nomination in and remained a vocal critic of Trump, seriously weighed a 2020 primary challenge but ruled it out on May 31, 2019, stating there was "no path right now" due to polls indicating approximately 90% of GOP voters supported Trump's reelection bid. Kasich cited the entrenched loyalty among Republican primary voters as a insurmountable barrier, emphasizing that his moderate positions would not gain traction in a party dominated by Trump's base. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, known for his anti-Trump stance within the GOP and popularity in a blue-leaning state, fueled speculation about a challenge through public criticisms and meetings with anti-Trump Republicans, but declared on February 21, 2019, that he would not run unless Trump's support among party voters significantly eroded—a threshold unmet amid sustained high approval ratings among Republicans. Hogan prioritized his reelection as governor and party reform efforts over a quixotic national bid, later writing in Ronald Reagan during the general election as a protest against both major-party nominees. Utah Senator Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee and a frequent Trump critic following his 2019 Senate entry, explicitly stated on January 2, 2019, that he had no intention of seeking the presidency again, including against Trump, despite opportunities to leverage his establishment credentials and donor networks. Romney's decision aligned with his focus on oversight of the administration rather than a divisive intraparty fight, though he withheld a primary endorsement and later voted against Trump in the general election. Other figures, such as former Governor Nikki Haley, drew early speculation as potential moderate alternatives given her administration experience and appeal to suburban voters, but she demurred from any challenge, citing family priorities and private-sector transitions after departing as UN ambassador in late 2018. The scarcity of viable challengers reflected broader Republican elite reluctance, driven by Trump's command of over 90% of primary voters in early polls and state party decisions to cancel contests in key states like , , , , and to avert intra-party conflict.

Key Campaign Events

Debates and Public Forums

The 2020 Republican Party presidential primaries lacked any officially sanctioned debates organized by the (RNC), a departure from cycles with competitive fields, as incumbent President declined to participate in such events. Trump stated explicitly that he would not engage in GOP primary debates, aligning with historical precedent where no sitting president has ever debated primary challengers. The RNC's rules required candidates to appear only in sanctioned primary debates, but with Trump's dominance and the field's marginal challengers failing to meet typical qualification thresholds for national exposure, no such events materialized. Instead, limited unofficial debates occurred among the challengers—former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, and former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford—who positioned themselves as "Never Trump" alternatives emphasizing party restoration over policy disputes. On September 24, 2019, Business Insider hosted the sole head-to-head debate between Weld and Walsh, where both candidates centered their arguments on Trump's personal conduct and fitness for office rather than detailed issue contrasts, with Walsh declaring the contest "about Trump" amid his impeachment proceedings. Walsh and Weld repeatedly invoked Trump's alleged authoritarian tendencies and the need to prevent his renomination to avert electoral disaster against Democrats. Public forums for the challengers were sparse and low-profile, reflecting their negligible polling and fundraising—Weld polled under 1% nationally, Walsh launched his bid in August 2019 with similar traction, and Sanford entered in September 2019 before withdrawing in November without gaining delegate support. On October 26, 2019, at in Nashville, Walsh, Weld, and Sanford participated in a forum-style moderated by SiriusXM host Matt Walsh (no relation to ), reiterating criticisms of Trump's influence on the GOP while discussing broader party realignment. An October 25, 2019, conversation between Weld and Sanford similarly focused on challenging Trump's grip on the party base, but drew minimal viewership and media attention compared to or Democratic primary events. These gatherings underscored the challengers' strategy of intra-party critique over broad voter outreach, yet failed to elevate their candidacies amid Trump's consolidated support exceeding 80% in early primary polls.

State-Level Primary Cancellations

Several state Republican parties canceled their 2020 presidential primaries, opting instead to allocate delegates directly to incumbent President , citing cost savings and the lack of viable opposition as primary rationales. These decisions, made in mid- to late-2019, effectively barred primary challengers from competing in those states and gaining any delegates. The moves were framed by party officials as demonstrations of unified support for Trump's renomination, with state GOP chairs emphasizing that no challenger had demonstrated sufficient organization or to warrant a . The states that canceled included , , , , and . In , the state Republican Party voted on September 6, 2019, to cancel both its primary and , committing all 58 delegates to Trump. Kansas Republicans followed on September 7, 2019, scrapping their to allocate 39 delegates directly, arguing it would conserve resources estimated at $1 million. 's GOP executive committee approved cancellation on September 14, 2019, for its primary, which was upheld by a state judge on December 11, 2019, despite a from challengers claiming it violated voter access rights; the decision awarded Trump all 54 delegates. 's party canceled its primary in 2019, and did the same, both directing delegates to Trump without contest. Challengers such as former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, former Congressman Joe Walsh, and former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford criticized the cancellations as undemocratic, arguing they suppressed intra-party debate and prevented voters from expressing dissent against Trump. Walsh, in particular, filed lawsuits in multiple states, including South Carolina, asserting that party rules and state laws required primaries when an incumbent sought renomination, though these efforts failed. The cancellations did not alter Trump's path to the nomination, as he secured a majority of delegates by March 2020 through uncontested or dominant performances elsewhere, but they highlighted the Republican Party's strategic consolidation behind the incumbent amid minimal challenger viability.

Ballot Access Efforts and Disputes

In several states, Republican Party officials canceled or declined to hold contested presidential primaries for the 2020 cycle, citing the lack of viable opposition to incumbent President and the desire to conserve resources for the general election. These decisions effectively barred challengers from in those jurisdictions by eliminating the primaries altogether, as state parties control the format under rules allowing allocation of delegates without a vote when an incumbent seeks renomination. Affected states included , , , and , where announcements came in early September 2019; , where the party opted for a process favoring Trump; and others like and , which used conventions rather than primaries. Challengers, including former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, former Illinois Representative Joe Walsh, and former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, protested these cancellations as antidemocratic maneuvers designed to shield Trump from intra-party scrutiny, despite their campaigns' limited polling and fundraising. Weld, who filed candidacy paperwork in on November 13, 2019, and secured ballot positions in states such as , , , and , argued that the moves undermined Republican principles of open competition. Walsh, appearing on ballots in and other Super Tuesday states like , similarly accused state parties of "rigging" the process in Trump's favor, though both candidates struggled with petition requirements and deadlines in many jurisdictions, failing to qualify widely due to resource constraints rather than formal denials. Sanford, who entered the race on September 8, 2019— one day after 's cancellation—criticized the decision in his home state as particularly obstructive, but suspended his campaign on November 12, 2019, without mounting significant ballot efforts elsewhere. No major lawsuits over succeeded, as challengers' low viability—evidenced by Weld receiving under 10% in 's February 11, 2020, primary and negligible support elsewhere—aligned with parties' assessments that contests were unnecessary. In states holding primaries, such as (where Weld garnered 9,106 votes or 9.1%), , and (where Walsh received 13,072 votes or about 2%), challengers qualified via standard filing fees and minimal signatures, but turnout favored Trump overwhelmingly, with over 90% in most cases. These outcomes reinforced state parties' rationale for cancellations, which mirrored historical precedents for unopposed incumbents, though critics like the challengers framed them as evidence of Trump's dominance suppressing dissent within the GOP.

Primary Contests

Contested Primaries and Caucuses

Few states conducted contested Republican presidential primaries in 2020, as Republican organizations in over a dozen states, including Arizona, Kansas, Nevada, and South Carolina, canceled their nominating contests to preclude opportunities for President Trump's challengers and affirm intra-party support for the incumbent. The limited contests occurred primarily where challengers had secured ballot access prior to suspending their campaigns in February 2020, following dismal early performances. No Republican caucuses were held as contested events; Iowa, for instance, did not conduct a presidential caucus for the party. The sole primary featuring active campaigning by multiple candidates was New Hampshire on February 11, 2020, where Trump captured 85.6% of the vote (129,754 votes), Bill Weld obtained 9.1% (13,787 votes), Joe Walsh received approximately 2%, Mark Sanford around 1%, and Roque De La Fuente under 1%, securing all 22 delegates for Trump amid turnout of roughly 151,000 voters. In subsequent primaries, suspended candidates like Weld remained on ballots in states such as Vermont (March 3), where Trump won 87.7% and Weld 10.2%; Massachusetts (March 3), with Trump at 87.0% and Weld at 9.3%; and Maryland (June 2, delayed due to COVID-19), where Trump took 86.8% and Weld 13.2% of approximately 297,000 votes. Minor challengers appeared in Colorado's March 3 primary, with Walsh and others receiving negligible shares under 1% each. Trump prevailed in every contested primary with at least 85% of the vote, amassing all available delegates and underscoring limited intra-party dissent, as challengers collectively failed to exceed 15% in any state and suspended campaigns shortly after New Hampshire.
StateDateTrump (%)Weld (%)Other Challengers (%)Total Votes (approx.)
New HampshireFeb 1185.69.1Walsh ~2, Sanford ~1151,000
VermontMar 387.710.2De La Fuente <1N/A
MassachusettsMar 387.09.3Walsh 1.1N/A
MarylandJun 286.813.2N/A297,000

Delegate Accumulation and Clinching

The Republican Party allocated 2,551 delegates to the 2020 national convention, comprising 2,441 pledged delegates and 110 unpledged delegates, with a candidate requiring 1,276 to secure a first-ballot for the . President , facing limited opposition, accumulated delegates swiftly through outright victories, proportional awards based on dominant vote shares, and automatic allocations in states that canceled contests. Challengers such as William Weld, , , and Roque De La Fuente garnered negligible support, typically under 10% of votes where contests occurred, resulting in Trump securing virtually all available pledged delegates. Trump's delegate haul commenced with the on February 3, 2020, where he captured 97.1% of the vote and 39 of the state's 40 delegates. In on February 11, Trump won 85.3% of the vote, earning the bulk of the 23 delegates amid Weld's distant second-place finish at 6.9%. Nevada's Republican caucuses on February 22 awarded all 25 delegates to Trump after the state party canceled formal balloting and endorsed him unopposed. followed suit by scrapping its caucuses, directly assigning its 29 delegates to Trump. Additional pre-voting cancellations in states like (39 delegates), (20 delegates), and (further bolstered later) similarly funneled delegates to Trump without contests. These moves, justified by state parties citing Trump's incumbency and lack of viable challengers, effectively sidelined primary efforts and conserved resources. Super Tuesday on March 3, 2020, marked a pivotal surge, as Trump prevailed in all 14 participating states—Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia—amassing hundreds of delegates through winner-take-most or proportional rules favoring his landslides (often exceeding 70% of votes). This performance positioned Trump near the clinch threshold, though some unvoted states delayed formal confirmation. Subsequent contests, including those postponed or minimally contested amid emerging concerns, continued the pattern; for instance, Michigan and Wisconsin later canceled Republican primaries, awarding delegates to Trump by default. Trump formally clinched the nomination on March 17, 2020, surpassing 1,276 delegates after sweeping (with 58 delegates), (99 delegates), and (67 delegates), where he again dominated with vote shares above 90% in and . This outcome rendered remaining primaries ceremonial, with Trump ultimately securing a of pledged delegates and rendering challenger campaigns moot by early spring.

Voting Results and Turnout Data

In the 2020 Republican presidential primaries, a majority of states and territories canceled their contests due to President Donald Trump's incumbency and the absence of credible challengers, directly allocating delegates to him without a vote; at least 37 states, the District of Columbia, and several territories took this approach by early 2020. Contests proceeded in approximately nine states, primarily in the early calendar, where Trump won every race with overwhelming majorities ranging from 82% to 99% of the vote, while marginal candidates like , , , and Roque De La Fuente collectively garnered under 5% nationwide in held primaries. These results underscored minimal intra-party dissent, as Trump's vote share exceeded 90% in seven of the nine contests. Turnout in held Republican primaries was markedly low compared to prior cycles with competition, averaging under 10% of registered Republicans in many cases and totaling roughly 2.5 million votes across all contests—far below the 15 million cast in the GOP primaries. Factors contributing to depressed participation included the perceived inevitability of Trump's renomination, strategic limitations for challengers in some states, and, later, disruptions that prompted additional postponements or cancellations. In , for instance, Republican primary turnout dropped to about 151,500 voters from 287,000 in , despite the state's tradition of competitive . The following table summarizes results from select held contests, highlighting Trump's dominance and sparse opposition support:
StateDateTrump Votes (% of Total)Total Votes CastNotable Challenger Results
(Caucus)Feb. 3, 202044,070 (97.1%)45,406Walsh: 1.1%; others <1%
Feb. 11, 2020129,754 (85.6%)151,510Weld: 9.1%; Walsh: 2.7%; others <2%
Apr. 7, 2020~200,000 (81.7%)~245,000Walsh: 10.1%; others <5%
Data drawn from official tallies and contemporaneous reporting; Wisconsin's delayed contest amid restrictions saw the lowest relative turnout among late primaries. Trump's aggregate primary vote haul exceeded 2 million, securing all 2,550 delegates by March 17, 2020, with challengers failing to win any.

Post-Primary Developments

Republican National Convention

The Republican National Convention convened from August 24 to 27, 2020, primarily in , to formally nominate the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates. On August 24, approximately 1,000 delegates gathered for an in-person roll-call vote, unanimously nominating incumbent President for a second term and for reelection, with Trump receiving 2,327 delegate votes to zero for any challengers. This outcome reflected Trump's unchallenged dominance in the primaries, where he had amassed a delegate majority by March 3, 2020, after winning contests in states like and with margins exceeding 90% of the vote. No other candidates qualified for nomination, as primary challengers such as William Weld, , and had suspended their campaigns by early February 2020, leaving Trump as the sole viable contender. The convention proceedings emphasized themes of economic recovery, law and order, and criticism of Democratic policies, with speeches from Republican officials, Trump family members, and supporters. Notable addresses included those by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Senator Tim Scott, and the president's sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, focusing on policy achievements like tax cuts and judicial appointments. The Republican Party platform, traditionally a detailed policy document, was abbreviated to a four-page resolution endorsing Trump's "America First" agenda rather than outlining comprehensive positions, a departure justified by party leaders as aligning with the incumbent's established record. Trump formally accepted the nomination on August 27 with a 70-minute speech delivered from the South Lawn of the White House, outlining a vision for continued conservative governance and warning against opponent Joe Biden's proposed policies. Delegate attendance was reduced compared to prior conventions, with many participating remotely or in limited capacity, underscoring the procedural nature of the event given the absence of intra-party competition. The nomination solidified Republican unity behind Trump ahead of the general election, as evidenced by the lack of any dissenting votes or procedural challenges during the roll call.

Influence of COVID-19 on Proceedings

The necessitated modifications to the , the primary post-primary proceeding for formalizing the nomination. Held August 24–27, 2020, in , the event faced capacity restrictions imposed by state health guidelines, limiting in-person attendance to essential delegates and officials for the nomination roll call on August 24, with approximately 336 participants adhering to protocols. Larger planned crowds were curtailed, prompting President Trump to publicly threaten relocation to , though the core proceedings remained in Charlotte with hybrid elements, including pre-recorded speeches and reduced live audiences to mitigate transmission risks. Delegate selection processes in several states were also adapted, with Republican state parties conducting virtual conventions or meetings to allocate and bind delegates amid gathering bans. For instance, states like and shifted to online formats for delegate elections and platform approvals in spring and summer 2020, ensuring continuity without physical assemblies that could exceed health limits. These changes preserved procedural integrity while avoiding delays, as Trump's early delegate majority—achieved March 17, 2020—minimized disputes over allocation. Overall, the pandemic's influence was constrained compared to the Democratic process, given the absence of intra-party competition; no significant challenges to delegate counts or rule changes arose, and the convention proceeded to nominate Trump and without postponement, though with scaled-back pageantry and heightened scrutiny over health protocols. Critics noted minimal mask usage and large outdoor events, such as the acceptance speech on August 27 attended by over 1,000 guests, as potential vectors, but official proceedings complied with legal requirements.

Financial Aspects of Campaigns

The financial dynamics of the 2020 Republican presidential primaries were marked by minimal expenditure and fundraising activity relative to the Democratic contest, owing to President Donald Trump's unchallenged dominance within the party. Trump's reelection campaign, which raised $773,954,550 through its principal committee over the full 2020 cycle, devoted negligible resources to primary-specific efforts, as no serious opposition materialized after early state contests. This reflected strong intra-party loyalty, with the and affiliated groups prioritizing general election preparations over defending the nomination. Primary challengers, by contrast, operated on shoestring budgets that underscored their marginal viability. Former Governor Bill Weld's campaign committee amassed $2,104,103.63 in total receipts from January 1, , to December 31, , disbursing nearly all of it on basic operations like and , yet failing to gain traction beyond symbolic participation in early primaries. Similarly, former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh's bid generated modest sums, including just over $129,000 in the third quarter of , limiting his outreach to radio appearances and limited amid a five-month campaign. Former Governor Mark Sanford's effort relied heavily on preexisting funds rather than new donations, transferring approximately $1.3 million from his congressional campaign account to seed the presidential run; his dedicated 2020 committee reported $0 in receipts but $18,676.54 in disbursements against an initial cash balance exceeding $1.3 million. Businessman Roque "Rocky" , who entered Republican primaries in select states like , raised $15,678,477.08 overall for his 2020 activities spanning multiple parties, largely through self-financing, though this did not translate to delegate gains or party support in the GOP contest. These disparities—challengers collectively raising under $20 million against Trump's vastly superior war chest—highlighted the financial barriers to intra-party dissent, with opponents' funds insufficient for widespread advertising or organization in key early states like and . Democratic donors occasionally bolstered anti-Trump Republicans, but such cross-partisan infusions proved negligible amid broader Republican aversion to perceived intraparty disruption.

Analysis and Implications

Demonstration of Intra-Party Unity

The 2020 Republican presidential primaries exemplified intra-party unity through the marginal impact of challengers to incumbent President . Potential rivals, including former Governor , former Illinois Representative , and former South Carolina Governor , launched campaigns citing concerns over Trump's leadership and fiscal policies but garnered negligible support from Republican voters and party infrastructure. Weld, who emphasized Trump's alleged unfitness for office, suspended his bid on March 18, 2020, after failing to qualify for subsequent ballots and receiving limited votes in early contests. Sanford ended his challenge on November 12, 2019, acknowledging the dominance of Trump's base and the difficulty of competing amid party consolidation behind the president. Walsh, focusing on Trump's character and , withdrew on February 7, 2020, prior to the primary, due to poor and polling. These efforts lacked endorsements from major Republican elected officials or financial backing from party-aligned donors, underscoring the absence of a viable intra-party faction opposed to Trump. Further evidence of unity came from state Republican parties actively curtailing opportunities for dissent by canceling presidential primaries in five states—Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Nevada, and South Carolina—between September and October 2019. These decisions, ratified by party committees and upheld against legal challenges, automatically allocated delegates to Trump without voter input, explicitly to prevent "oxygen" for long-shot challengers and affirm support for the incumbent. In states where primaries proceeded, Trump achieved landslide margins, capturing over 97% of the vote in the Iowa caucuses on February 3, 2020, against write-in opposition. He similarly dominated the New Hampshire primary on February 11, 2020, defeating Weld handily in the only state with a semi-competitive Republican contest. This cohesion enabled Trump to secure a majority of delegates by early March 2020, following victories on March 3, rendering the nomination uncontested well before the . Republican National Committee Chair and congressional leadership, including Senate Majority Leader , refrained from backing alternatives, prioritizing preparations over internal debate. The primaries' low turnout in unopposed states and challengers' combined sub-10% shares where present highlighted a consolidated base, contrasting sharply with the fragmented Democratic field and reflecting Trump's hold over the party's electorate post-2016.

Controversies Over Process and Democracy

Several state Republican parties canceled their 2020 presidential primaries or caucuses prior to voting, opting instead to allocate all delegates directly to incumbent President , prompting criticisms from his primary challengers that the process stifled intra-party democracy. In September and October , parties in , , , , and announced they would forgo competitive primaries, citing the lack of viable opposition and a desire to conserve resources amid Trump's strong incumbency advantage. These decisions were made by state-level organizations under their authority to determine primary procedures, but challengers argued they preempted voter input and effectively coronated Trump without contest. Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, and former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, Trump's most prominent challengers, jointly condemned the cancellations in a September 13, 2019, op-ed, describing them as a "critical mistake" that denied Republican voters the opportunity to participate in the nominating process and risked alienating the base by appearing to rig the outcome. Sanford specifically labeled the moves "anti-American," asserting they undermined the democratic principle of open competition within the party. Walsh echoed this by arguing that Trump's path to renomination should be challenging to hold him accountable, rather than streamlined by party insiders. Weld, who had accused Trump of treasonous behavior earlier that month, framed the cancellations as symptomatic of a party prioritizing loyalty over voter choice. These critics, however, represented marginal voices; Walsh, Sanford, and Weld collectively garnered less than 3% of the vote in states that did hold primaries, such as New Hampshire on February 11, 2020, where Trump secured 85% support. Defenders of the process, including Trump allies and state party officials, countered that the cancellations reflected genuine party unity and resource efficiency, given Trump's incumbency and polling dominance—national Republican primary polls in late showed him with over 80% support among GOP voters. State parties maintained that rules allowing delegate allocation without a vote were longstanding and applied proportionally to the absence of competitive challenges, not as an incumbent protection racket. Nonetheless, the challengers' complaints highlighted tensions over incumbent advantages in party rules, where sitting presidents historically face few obstacles, as evidenced by unopposed renominations like in 2004. The episode fueled broader debates on whether such procedural shortcuts erode democratic norms within parties, though empirical turnout in contested states indicated limited voter demand for alternatives.

Polling Accuracy and Voter Sentiment

Pre-primary opinion polls accurately forecasted the overwhelming dominance of incumbent President in the 2020 Republican presidential primaries, with national surveys consistently showing him supported by 80% to 95% of Republican voters. The aggregation of polls from December 10, 2019, to February 11, 2020, reported Trump at 89.3%, former Governor at 4.0%, and former Congressman at 3.5%, reflecting negligible viability for challengers. State-level polling, such as in ahead of the February 3 , similarly projected Trump above 90% support, aligning with his actual 97.1% vote share in that contest. These predictions proved reliable, as Trump secured over 94% of the total primary vote in contested states, with deviations minimal and attributable to factors like write-in votes or uncommitted ballots rather than systematic polling errors. Unlike the general election polls that underestimated Trump's support by several points due to nonresponse bias among his voters, primary polling faced no comparable challenges, likely because the intra-party electorate was more homogeneous and enthusiastic for the incumbent, minimizing "shy voter" effects. Pollsters' methodologies, including likely voter screens favoring engaged Republicans, captured the lopsided outcomes without the underestimation seen in broader electorates. In New Hampshire, where Trump received 85.5% amid scattered opposition votes, pre-primary surveys from outlets like Emerson College similarly placed him in the mid-80s range, confirming high fidelity between projections and results. Voter sentiment underscored profound intra-party loyalty to Trump, evidenced by his approval ratings among Republicans averaging 90% or higher in early 2020 Gallup tracking polls, far exceeding support for any alternative. This unity manifested in primary turnout patterns, where Trump-backed delegates amassed rapidly, and challengers like Walsh and former Governor suspended campaigns by mid-February after failing to exceed 5% in early contests, signaling broad rejection of anti-Trump dissent. Sentiment analyses from contemporaneous Pew Research surveys indicated that Republican voters prioritized continuity and Trump's record on and , with over 80% expressing confidence in his leadership amid proceedings, further entrenching his position. The absence of viable opposition reflected not but a deliberate affirmation of incumbency, as turnout in states like exceeded expectations for an uncontested race, driven by grassroots enthusiasm.

Long-Term Effects on Republican Politics

The 2020 Republican primaries, marked by the cancellation of contests in over 30 states due to Trump's unchallenged status, demonstrated early and profound party consolidation around his incumbency, effectively preempting intra-party debate and resource expenditure on symbolic opposition. Challengers such as former Governor , former Congressman , and former Governor collectively secured fewer than 200,000 votes nationwide, representing under 7% of the total primary turnout where elections occurred, while Trump amassed over 2.3 million votes and all 2,550 delegates by March 2020. This lopsided outcome, with Trump capturing 93-97% of votes in held contests like and , signaled to party elites and activists that defying the incumbent carried negligible electoral viability, fostering a culture of deference that marginalized traditional conservative critics. The primaries' structure and results accelerated the personalization of the Republican Party around Trump, transforming it from an ideological coalition into a movement loyal to his and priorities, including trade and immigration over fiscal orthodoxy. Academic analyses describe this as "Trumpization," where institutional mechanisms like state party rules favoring incumbents reinforced his gatekeeping role, evident in subsequent cycles where anti-Trump figures struggled for viability. Post-2020, this dynamic manifested in Trump's endorsement success rate exceeding 90% in 2022 midterm primaries, where backed candidates prevailed in nearly all contested and races, compelling aspirants to align with his narrative on integrity and cultural issues to avoid primary purges. By entrenching populist dominance, the 2020 primaries contributed to a broader realignment within the GOP electorate, shifting emphasis from suburban professionals to working-class and rural voters skeptical of establishment conservatism, a trend that propelled Trump's 2024 primary sweep despite legal challenges and culminated in his general election victory. This realignment reduced space for moderate or Never Trump factions, as seen in the 2024 primaries where even nominal challengers like Nikki Haley garnered minimal support from traditional donors and elites, underscoring how the 2020 display of unity deterred future intra-party fragmentation. Consequently, the party apparatus prioritized loyalty tests over policy pluralism, altering candidate recruitment and platform evolution toward enduring Trump-aligned priorities like America First foreign policy.

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