Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH), and the entire New Hampshire’s congressional delegation have vowed to fight the Democratic National Committee (DNC) over plans to displace New Hampshire as First in the Nation primary.
“No party committee gave New Hampshire the first-in-the-nation primary. Granite Staters created this process to put the power in voters’ hands and give every candidate a fair shot, no matter their cash-on-hand or status within the party,” the lawmakers said in a statement.
Hassan, in a separate tweet, maintained that New Hampshire would go first, regardless of the DNC’s latest decision.
Our First in the Nation Primary makes our entire country & democracy stronger. Regardless of the DNC vote, New Hampshire will go first.
The DNC's primary proposal asks us to violate our state law & puts Democrats' future success in our state at risk—it is deeply misguided. #FITN
— Maggie Hassan (@Maggie_Hassan) February 4, 2023
“The DNC’s primary proposal asks us to violate our state law & puts Democrats’ future success in our state at risk—it is deeply misguided,” Hassan tweeted.
Iowa and New Hampshire’s political icons have publicly opposed President Joe Biden and his party’s calendar alteration since it was first aired in 2022.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), a Republican, has also refuted the DNC voting schedule. He condemned Biden, saying the president and his allies in Washington think New Hampshire’s time is up, adding that his state does not take orders from the capital.
The Democratic National Committee recently confirmed a presidential primary calendar placing South Carolina as the first nominating state in 2024, displacing New Hampshire and Iowa from their prominent position in a general party bid to modify the early voting calendar.
South Carolina earned the vote of party members as first in a vote that took place at the DNC’s meeting in Philadelphia, slated for February 3, 2024, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire 3 days later. Georgia and Michigan are also expected to have theirs about a week later.
The DNC voting clashed with the Republican National Committee’s vote last April, where the old order featured Iowa, followed by New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. This clash initiated a subtle battle between both parties in New Hampshire and Iowa regarding their voting schedule.
