While both of the nation’s major political parties are mired in internal struggles (ousted speakers, censured representatives, flying elbows, not-so-subtle hints that the frontrunner needs to shuffle off into the sunset), New Hampshire’s Democrats took things up another notch on Wednesday, announcing that they would be bucking the Democratic National Committee (DNC), thank you very much, and holding their primary before South Carolina. The Granite State will hold its Democratic primary on January 23rd — just a little over two months away.
The news comes as tensions have ramped up between New Hampshire Democrats and the Democratic National Committee over the committee’s decision to make South Carolina’s primary the first in the nation on February 3.
President Biden did not file for the New Hampshire primary, citing obligations to comply with DNC guidance. His supporters in the state have launched a write-in campaign.
What’s behind the jockeying on the timing?
State law requires New Hampshire’s Republican and Democratic primaries to be held at least seven days before any similar contest and gives the secretary of state sole authority to set the date. Like his predecessor did for decades, Secretary of State David Scanlan waited for the dust to settle in other states before announcing his decision.
But that runs afoul of new party rules, ostensibly aimed at ensuring a larger role for minority voters.
Iowa’s Democrats also will caucus on Jan. 15, 2024, but not release the presidential results immediately to comply with new party rules sought by President Joe Biden, who argued Black and other minority voters should play a larger, earlier role. Iowa and New Hampshire are each more than 90% white.
But Scanlan said that using racial diversity as “a cudgel” in a bid to rearrange the presidential nominating calendar sets “an ugly precedent.”
“At what point does a state become too old, or too wealthy, or too educated, or too religious to hold an early primary?” he said in a news conference announcing the date.
As it stands right now, both Democrats and Republicans in Iowa will caucus on January 15th, though, as noted above, Iowa Democrats will hold their results until early March. The South Carolina primary is now set for February 3, 2024, with the Nevada primary to follow three days later.
So, what does this defiance on the part of the New Hampshire Dems spell for the state? President Biden has opted to keep his name off the ballot and not to campaign there. Additionally, the state could lose half of its delegates to the national convention next August in Chicago.
But they’ll maintain their “First in the Nation” tradition.