Who’s On First?
Democrats in the state of Nevada completed a stunt last week, passing a law mandating that their presidential primary be on the first Tuesday in February. The idea was to be first in the nation, by-passing our Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary.
It’s a stunt with little value, and may in fact weaken the state’s influence in presidential politics.
First, the calendar is actually set by the national parties, and any state that leapfrogs the schedule runs the risk of its delegates not getting seated at the national convention…after all, that’s what caucuses and primaries do, select delegated to the national nominating conventions.
Second, New Hampshire’s law automatically requires the Secretary of State there to change the date of the primary to make sure they are first…and the agreement between Iowa and New Hampshire is that Iowa’s caucuses will be a week before the Granite State primary, whenever that is.
Third, Republican party chairs in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina…the “first four” states in recent tradition…have banded together to resist the Nevada plan.
Fourth, there’s not unanimity among Democrats, with Iowa’s Democrat party on the list of those against the Nevada move.
It’s a gamble, pun intended, for Nevada…but my money is on the calendar we’re used to being used again in 2024…and that means Iowa remains first.
