Democratic Primary Calendar Is Overhauled

It’s out with the old and in with the new as the Democratic Primary Calendar has been completely overhauled.

Politics :
To say that it’s the end of an era for Iowa and New Hampshire would be an understatement since they’ve been first out the gate among Democratic primaries for decades. However, that was then and this is now as the Democrats have decided it’s time for a change to better reflect 21st Century America.

Instead of the traditional Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary, the new Democratic Primary Calendar will be completely revamped in 2024 and will begin February 3rd in South Carolina. New Hampshire and Nevada will be up next on February 6th, followed by Georgia on February 13th, and then Michigan on February 27th.

Democrats believe their new calendar will better reflect the racial diversity of the Democratic Party and the country. They also hope to avoid a debacle similar to Iowa’s 2020 meltdown, which led to a major delay in election results.

“This is a significant effort to make the presidential primary nominating process more reflective of the diversity of this country, and to have issues that will determine the outcome of the November election part of the early process,” said Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan, who has long sought to move up her state’s primary. 

However, not everyone is excited about the new Democratic Primary Calendar — especially Iowa and New Hampshire. Although New Hampshire has been given until June to make the necessary preparations for the updated calendar, they appear to be fixing for a fight.

“They could say June, they could say next week, they could say in 5 years, but it’s not going to matter,” said former Gov. John Lynch, who signed a letter asking President Biden to rescind the new calendar. “It’s like asking New York to move the Statue of Liberty from New York to Florida. I mean, that’s not going to happen. And it’s not going to happen that we’re going to change state law.”

Still, a number of Democrats vehemently disagreed with New Hampshire’s argument by pointing out that tradition and even state law are not reason enough to preserve a particular lineup.

“No one state should have a lock on going first,” Ms. Dingell said to applause from fellow Democrats.

“We can proudly say that we sought to elevate the voices that have far too long been sidelined,” said Rep. Nikema Williams of Georgia who’s also chair of the state party. “Georgia isn’t a blue state, y’all. But we’re not a red state, either. I’d like to think that we’re periwinkle. There’s still more work to be done. This is a fight that’s worth fighting for.”

OK WASSUP! discusses Politics:
Democratic Primary Calendar gets an update.