Democrats are experiencing a bit of a civil war over where to hold the first-in-the-nation primary, and it’s a battle that is only heating up.
Traditionally, New Hampshire has held the first primary of the election cycle and the state’s Democrats refuse to give up that status, even though the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee are demanding to hold it in South Carolina in a blatant attempt to cater to black voters.
And Friday marked the deadline for the New Hampshire Democratic Party to come into compliance with the DNC’s demand. That didn’t happen, Fox News reports.
The outlet added:
The DNC overwhelmingly voted in early February to dramatically alter the top of its presidential nominating calendar for the 2024 election cycle, bumping Iowa and New Hampshire from their longtime leadoff positions.
But months later, there’s no resolution with New Hampshire or Iowa, and the party appears far from implementing its revamped primary schedule.
“Granite Staters appreciate and respect the responsibility of the over 100-year tradition of the First in the Nation New Hampshire primary. They understand New Hampshire has a special place in the history of American politics and their place in it. We look forward to continuing that tradition here next year, and in the years to come,” said longtime New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley earlier this summer, according to the network.
The DNC’s efforts to reshape its primary calendar to more accurately represent Black and Hispanic voters in the initial primary contests have encountered strong resistance in New Hampshire.
Buckley, a former DNC vice chair, has characterized the national party’s decision as “mind-boggling” and a “self-inflicted wound” that could negatively impact the prospects of Democratic candidates in the crucial northeastern battleground state for the 2024 general election.
For years, Democrats have criticized both Iowa and New Hampshire for not accurately representing the broader diversity of the party, given their predominantly White populations and lack of significant urban centers. In contrast, Nevada and South Carolina, which have occupied the third and fourth positions in the primary calendar in recent cycles, are considerably more diverse than both Iowa and New Hampshire, Fox News noted.
The DNC gave strong approval to a calendar proposed by President Joe Biden, which moves South Carolina to the top spot with a primary set for February 3, 2024. New Hampshire and Nevada are slated to hold their primaries three days later, followed by Georgia on February 13 and Michigan two weeks afterward. Advocates of this plan, including the President, contend that it would enhance the influence of minority voters, a demographic that Democrats have traditionally depended on but generally overlooked.
“This committee put together a calendar proposal that reflects our values and will strengthen our party. This calendar does what is long overdue. It expands the number of voices in the early window. And it elevates diverse communities that are at core of the Democratic Party,” DNC chair Jaime Harrison noted earlier this year.
Getting the calendar accepted, however, has been difficult.
“South Carolina Democrats are on board, but Palmetto State Republicans will hold their primary later in February. Nevada Democrats are game, but the Silver State’s GOP — after an unsuccessful legal push to opt out of a Feb. 6 primary — is aiming to hold a Republican presidential caucus two days later. And Georgia’s Republican secretary of state this spring set the state’s primary date for May 12 of next year, rebuffing the DNC,” Fox reported.
The network added: “Iowa, which was left out of the DNC’s early voting states calendar, is still looking for ways to remain the leadoff contest without violating party rules.”
