New Hampshire Maintains Tradition with January 23, 2024, Presidential Primaries, Challenging National Democratic Party’s Schedule

In defiance of the Democratic Party’s national efforts to revamp the presidential nominating calendar, New Hampshire has set its 2024 presidential primaries for January 23. This decision by Secretary of State David Scanlan preserves the state’s longstanding tradition of being the first to hold primaries.

Under state law, New Hampshire must conduct its Republican and Democratic primaries at least a week before any similar event in other states, with the secretary of state having the exclusive right to determine the date. Continuing the practice of his predecessors, Republican David Scanlan announced this decision after considering other states’ schedules.

The Republican race will commence with the Iowa caucus on January 15, 2024, placing significant emphasis on New Hampshire’s primary, which follows eight days later. This primary presents a pivotal moment for GOP candidates to demonstrate their competitiveness, especially against former President Donald Trump, who currently leads the race for the Republican nomination. Ex-Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, has notably focused his campaign strategy on New Hampshire.

While Iowa’s Democrats will also caucus on January 15, 2024, they will delay releasing presidential results, adhering to new party regulations initiated by President Joe Biden. These rules are part of an effort to increase the influence of Black and other minority voters in the election process. Both Iowa and New Hampshire are predominantly white states, with over 90% white populations.

However, Scanlan criticized the use of racial diversity as a tool to modify the presidential nominating schedule, calling it a dangerous precedent. He questioned the fairness of using demographic factors like age, wealth, education level, or religious beliefs to determine a state’s eligibility for early primaries.

The Democratic National Committee has ratified a revised schedule, placing a primary in South Carolina, with a substantial Black demographic, on February 3, 2024. This is followed by Nevada three days later, and includes Michigan as an early voting state before the majority of the country votes on Super Tuesday, March 5, 2024.

President Biden has chosen not to appear on the New Hampshire ballot and does not plan to campaign there. Nonetheless, some of the state’s prominent Democrats are orchestrating a write-in campaign to support his reelection.

The Republican candidate pool is narrowing, with former Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina withdrawing. Remaining contenders include Chris Christie, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, former Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, all vying to be the primary challenger to Trump.

Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire emphasized the state’s grassroots political culture, highlighting that candidates can succeed without extensive name recognition or financial resources, but rather through direct engagement with voters.

For comprehensive coverage of the 2024 election, visit AP’s election site.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about New Hampshire Primaries 2024

More about New Hampshire Primaries 2024

• New Hampshire Primary Traditions
• Role of the Secretary of State in Primary Dates
• GOP Candidates and New Hampshire’s Impact
• DNC’s 2024 Nominating Calendar Changes
• President Biden’s 2024 Campaign Strategy