Democrats moved to dethrone Iowa as the first state in the Democratic presidential primary process and replace it with South Carolina, an overhaul championed by President Joe Biden.
Grumblings over Iowa reached a fever pitch during the last presidential cycle over a software mishap that delayed final results for days. The Democratic National Committee’s rule-making arm voted in favor of stripping Iowa of the position it has held for over four decades on Friday. It will have to be approved by the full DNC to take effect.
DNC SET TO SHAKE UP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING CALENDAR
“Just like my administration, the Democratic Party has worked hard to reflect the diversity of America — but our nominating process does not,” Biden wrote in a letter to the DNC ahead of the vote. “For fifty years, the first month of our presidential nominating process has been a treasured part of our democratic process, but it is time to update the process for the 21st century. I am committed to working with the DNC to get this done.”
Under the new calendar approved by the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, Nevada, New Hampshire, Georgia, and Michigan will follow South Carolina in the presidential primary process. Many of those states are key general election battleground states.
Those contests would take place in February 2024, the Associated Press reported. A full body DNC vote to cement that arrangement is expected to take place early next year.
A bevy of Democrats, including Biden, called for stronger diversity in the leading states, which play an outsize role in weeding out candidates. Iowa, which ascended to the leadoff state in 1972, is about 90.1% white, compared to 68.6% in South Carolina, according to the census. Republicans appear poised to leave Iowa’s status unscathed.
South Carolina proved to be a lifeline to Biden for his then-faltering campaign in the 2020 primary and served as a staging ground for him to mount a comeback. He was notably endorsed by House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), a move widely credited with helping to get his presidential aspirations back on track.
Seizing upon the apparent opening, a number of states had vied for the No. 1 slot, including Nevada. Democratic chairs in some of those states voiced disappointment following news that Biden had backed South Carolina.
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“Small rural states like Iowa must have a voice in our Presidential nominating process. Democrats cannot forget about entire groups of voters in the heart of the midwest without doing significant damage to the party for a generation,” Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Ross Wilburn wrote in a statement.
The Palmetto State’s rise could help solidify early support for Biden in the next election cycle if he vies for a second term, something he has signaled he will do.
