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AP Photo Carson to skip his own New Hampshire primary party

Ben Carson will be notably absent from his New Hampshire primary party on Tuesday.

The retired neurosurgeon will instead fly to South Carolina in the afternoon, his campaign said. Following Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire, South Carolina Republicans will vote next, on Feb. 20.

The decision to leave New Hampshire early comes after Carson’s campaign last week said he would be going home to Florida instead of campaigning in New Hampshire or South Carolina following the Iowa caucuses.

Ted Cruz’s campaign and surrogates seized on the news, inferring that the trip meant Carson would be suspending his campaign and encouraging his supporters to caucus for Cruz. The Texas senator won the Iowa caucuses last week with 28 percent support. Carson finished fourth at 9 percent.

Cruz has since apologized to Carson after his campaign initially denied any wrongdoing, and Carson anticipates that the two will meet face to face on Thursday in South Carolina.