Georgia‘s new place of prominence in the Democratic Party’s presidential primary calendar could launch Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) into a 2024 presidential bid.
Warnock, if he wins his runoff on Tuesday against Republican candidate Herschel Walker, may become a contender in the next presidential election, especially as President Joe Biden is casting doubt on plans for reelection.
The Democratic Party’s Rules and Bylines Committee shook up the primary calendar dramatically after adopting a proposal on Friday that removes Iowa from its first-in-the-nation position, replacing it with South Carolina and soon followed by neighboring Georgia, which could both play into Warnock’s strengths.
Iowa has started the presidential nominating process for 50 years but lost its status over past problems with tallying results, concerns about the state’s lack of diversity, and its GOP voting streak.
Under the new plan, South Carolina would hold the first primary on Feb. 3, 2024, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire three days later, Georgia on Feb. 13, and Michigan on Feb. 27. The proposal must still be voted on by the Democratic National Committee.
“For the .000001 percent of people who follow this stuff, this is equivalent to an earthquake,” said Julian Castro, the former Housing and Urban Development secretary, in an interview with the New York Times. “For it to change this much in one cycle is both impressive and will be very impactful in the years to come.”
For many years, Castro, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, has argued that Iowa should no longer hold the first stop on the party’s primary calendar. Castro is among many other supporters of this proposal who believe that the new calendar will represent a diversity of states that could bolster a wider range of new candidates.
Georgia becoming the Democratic Party’s fourth stop on the primary calendar is partially dependent on Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), who will need to possibly go against his own party’s wishes and approve the new primary date.
With a Senate win in Georgia, Democrats may look to Warnock to rally black voters to their side, a demographic whose turnout decreased nationally in 2022, per Axios.
Warnock is considered to be a uniquely talented politician by people on both sides of the aisle, as he has skillfully avoided being labeled a supporter of the “radical Left” despite usually voting along party lines.
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Record-setting totals of Georgians voted early last week in the Dec. 6 runoff election between Warnock and Walker. The turnout appears to include slightly more likely Warnock voters than those who voted early in the general election.
If Warnock wins, he will increase the Democrats’ Senate majority to 51-49. It also could put off Democrats from selecting Warnock as a presidential candidate out of fear of losing a crucial Senate seat in a Republican-heavy swing state.
