(AP) -- South Carolina's Republicans are raising cash this weekend that will help put on the 2012 presidential primary.
No primary date has been set, but the party expects it will cost as much as $1 million for a primary that will give a GOP presidential hopeful the prized first-in-the-South victory. Since 1980 no Republican candidate has won the presidential nomination without first winning South Carolina's primary.
State GOP executive director Joel Sawyer says the party raised $150,000 from candidates paying a $25,000 filing fee to qualify for Thursday's debate in Greenville and it raised more from ticket sales and sponsorships.
Friday night's Silver Elephant fundraising dinner will add at least $80,000 before sponsorships.
State and federal filings show the party had less than $92,000 on hand at the end of March.
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