Iowa and New Hampshire are no longer guaranteed to be the first presidential nominating contests for Democrats in 2024 after the Democratic National Convention (DNC) approved a resolution that significantly changes the way the party picks its presidential candidates, according to NBC News.
The DNC’s Rules & Bylaws Committee approved a plan that would let any state apply to be one of the early states in the primary contest, upending the nomination calender that usually begins with the Iowa caucuses, followed by the New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina primaries.
“I personally believe, and I think I’m not speaking just for myself, that this is a powerful resolution of a thoughtful process that is going to be inclusive of all Democrats. That’s our goal,” Jim Roosevelt Jr., the co-chair of the Rules and Bylaws Committee said.
Iowa has been criticized for not being a good representation of the Democratic Party base to play such a critical role in the party’s nominating process. It did not help when they bungled the 2020 caucus.
Then-candidate Joe Biden finished fourth in the Iowa caucuses, fifth in the New Hampshire primary then second and first in the more diverse states of Nevada and South Carolina respectively before sweeping super Tuesday.
The committee will select at most five states that are allowed to hold nominating contests before super Tuesday.
According to NBC, the committee is paying particular attention to their diversity, political competitiveness and “feasibility,” which includes whether they are capable of running such a high-profile contest and whether they are affordable places to campaign.
Nevada is reportedly making an aggressive attempt to be the first in the nation primary. States would have to complete their applications by June 3. The DNC will announce its decision on July 15.
