New Hampshire has officially selected January 23 as its primary date despite Democrats attempting to strip it of its “first in the nation primary” status.
Secretary of State David Scanlan made the announcement this week, blasting the Democrat National Committee (DNC) for making the controversial decision to choose South Carolina as its first in the nation primary, due to concerns over “diversity.”
“Our first-in-the-nation status is now being challenged by the Democratic National Committee due to alleged concerns over lack of racial diversity,” Scanlan said.
“Using racial diversity as a cudgel in an attempt to rearrange the presidential nominating calendar is 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 asked, asserting that the “elites on a national party committee” are essentially getting to determine the nominee of a party by “controlling the nominating calendar or the voters.”
South Carolina, meanwhile, is holding its primary February 3. As a result of the DNC’s decision to choose South Carolina as the party’s first contest, President Biden will not appear on the New Hampshire ballot, as the Granite State refused to bow to the DNC’s demands. Some, however, are launching a write-in effort so Biden has, at least, some showing in the state.
As Breitbart News reported over the summer, South Carolina was Biden’s “first and decisive primary victory in 2020, though it was only the fourth state to vote — to the beginning of the primary cycle.”
There had also been an argument brewing in Democratic Party quarters that Iowa and New Hampshire, with their predominantly white populations, should not play such an outsized role in choosing the party’s nominee. Putting South Carolina first would allow black voters, who form the overwhelming majority of the Democratic Party primary electorate there, a bigger say, and would better reflect the party’s emphasis on diversity.
But the biggest reason for the switch is that Biden has always had trouble winning in the early primary states. In 2020, he lost — badly — to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who won Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, becoming the first candidate of either party ever to win all three of the first nominating contests. A terrified Democratic Party establishment rallied behind Biden as soon as he had one legitimate win in the South Carolina race.
Biden’s reelection campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, informed New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley in a letter that Biden wished to participate in the primary but said he is “obligated to comply” with the party’s decision.
“The president looks forward to having his name on New Hampshire’s general election ballot as the nominee of the Democratic Party after officially securing the nomination at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where he will tirelessly campaign to earn every single vote in the Granite State next November,” she added.
