Nevada Jockeys to Be First on Presidential Primary Calendar

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Democrats in Nevada are making a play to bump Iowa and New Hampshire from their early spots on the presidential primary calendar. If successful, it would upend decades of political tradition and give a more urban and racially diverse group of voters a greater say in picking the party's nominee.

The behind-the-scenes lobbying, led by former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, seeks to capitalize on the party's discontent with Iowa's and New Hampshire's performances last year. Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses devolved into a technological and logistical mess, leaving the winner unclear. New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary wound up a near tie between two candidates who ultimately lost, while the eventual nominee, now-President Joe Biden, came in fifth.

The results have reignited debate over whether voters in the small, overwhelmingly white states should continue to weigh in first or whether that privilege should go to a state more representative of the party's voters. In the November election, 94% of Iowa voters were white and 56% lived in rural, small towns, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of the electorate, while 74% of voters in the U.S. were white and 35% lived in rural, small towns.

Notably, advocates are pushing for changes as early as 2024 — a timeline that reflects doubts that Biden will seek a second term and early preparation for the possibility of a competitive nomination fight.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-02-02/nevada-jockeys-to-be-first-on-presidential-primary-calendar