Why did we pay for GOPrez primary?

I read with bemused interest two items on the Opinion page of the March 4 issue of the Idaho Statesman. In an excellent Letter to the Editor, Margaret Anderson, of Boise, who identified herself as an “unaffiliated voter,” complained about the March 8 primary election in which only Republicans and Constitution Party members may vote and asked why all taxpayers are being required to pay for it. She accurately noted that there will be a second primary election on May 17 in which all can participate. On the same page there was an op-ed piece written by Jim Pierce, the 2nd vice chairman of the Idaho Republican Party, in which he urged unaffiliated voters such as Anderson to “pay attention,” register as a Republican and “participate in the ‘real election’ on March 8.” Pierce also acknowledged that unaffiliated voters in Idaho outnumber Republicans and Democrats combined. That is my understanding as well/Boise attorney Tony Park , op-ed column for the Idaho Statesman. More here.

Question: So what did you get from the state’s $2M investment in the early GOPresidential primary?