Launching his long-shot campaign against President Donald Trump, Republican Mark Sanford accused the South Carolina GOP on Monday of breaking its own rules by canceling the party's 2020 presidential primary.

Sanford spoke to reporters in downtown Greenville while standing beside a life-size cutout of Trump. The former South Carolina governor and congressman cited a state Republican Party rule that says any decision not to hold a presidential primary must be made by the state party convention.

The state GOP executive committee voted Sept. 7 to support Trump's reelection instead of holding a presidential primary. As a result of that decision, South Carolina voters likely won't have a chance to cast ballots for Sanford or Trump's two other challengers, former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, before the November 2020 general election.

Sanford said he is considering "all options" to contest the cancellation of the state's Republican presidential primary, including a possible legal challenge.

"I think legal is the last option for me. I'm not a lawyer by training. I don't particularly like going the legal route," Sanford said.

He urged South Carolina Republicans who want a presidential primary to be held to email and call state GOP Chairman Drew McKissick.

Joe Jackson, a spokesman for the South Carolina Republican Party, responded to Sanford's comments in an email that included the text of another state party rule. That rule states: "The spirit and not the letter of each rule shale be controlling. Substantial compliance with a rule shall be sufficient."

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The state's Democratic and Republican parties have each canceled presidential primaries in the past when their incumbents in the White House were seeking second terms. The 2020 Republican primaries in Arizona, Kansas and Nevada also have been canceled.

Sanford said holding a presidential primary in South Carolina would lead to competition and a debate of ideas, both of which would strengthen the Republican Party.

"Think about this: In some countries, you have a coronation. In other countries, they have a military coup. In still other countries, they have a fixed or a rigged election. But the way in which ideas are refined in the American system is indeed to debate," Sanford said. "We're going to miss that if South Carolina stays on its course."

Sanford, who announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on Sept. 8, is best known nationally for a 2009 episode when he was South Carolina's governor. He disappeared for nearly a week to engage in an extramarital affair in Argentina after telling his staff that he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

While acknowledging his underdog status, Sanford said he decided to run because he believes that Trump is "leading us in the wrong direction."

“I think there’s a marketplace for an alternative," he said.

Sanford criticized Trump for what he described as record-breaking government deficits.

"President Trump spent 190 days between 2011 and 2016 decrying debt and deficits. He said, 'If you elect me president, I will eliminate the debt over the eight years that I might be in office,'" Sanford said. "Instead, his own budgets propose to add $9 trillion of additional debt to, again, the next generation."

Sanford was scheduled to hold campaign events later Monday in Columbia and Mount Pleasant.

Follow Kirk Brown on Twitter @KirkBrown_AIM

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