The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted to make South Carolina the first primary state in 2024.
From The New York Post:
Under the new arrangement, the Palmetto State would hold its primary on Feb. 3, 2024. Nevada and New Hampshire will hold their primaries three days later, with Georgia due up Feb. 13 and Michigan following on Feb. 27.The Iowa caucuses have been the first in the nation since 1972, while New Hampshire has led the way on the primary calendar since 1920. Republicans have already said that their 2024 nominating contests will follow the traditional order of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.The changes voted on Friday will still have to be approved by the full DNC in a vote likely early next year, but it will almost certainly follow the Rules and Bylaws Committee’s lead.
President Joe Biden told the Democrats he wanted South Carolina to be the first primary state to “ensure that voters of color have a voice in choosing our nominee much earlier in the process and throughout the entire early window.”
I wonder if Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) had anything to do with Biden’s decision.
Clyburn is the #3 Democrat in the House. During the 2020 primary, Clyburn said he would endorse Biden if he promised to nominate a black woman to the Supreme Court.
James Clyburn, the No. 3 US House Democrat credited with boosting Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, said the president called him Thursday to say he was recommending that South Carolina replace Iowa as the first nominating contest.The two men spoke by phone before Biden’s state dinner Thursday for French President Emmanuel Macron, which Clyburn attended as well.“He called me yesterday, before the dinner and he told me that’s what his decision was and I thanked him. And I told him I would see him later on in the evening and that was it. I was surprised,” Clyburn said in an interview Friday.
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