Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Thursday plans to formally dash Democratic hopes of holding an early presidential primary next year, instead choosing March 12 for the battleground state’s nominating contests, according to people familiar with the decision.
The Democratic National Committee had given state officials until mid-June to move up the state primary to February to comply with party rules that sought to bring a new focus on the Southern state, which narrowly voted to elect President Biden in 2020.
A person familiar with the Georgia decision who was not authorized to speak publicly said that the March primary date would not be revisited. The new date was first reported Thursday by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Republican governor and secretary of state in New Hampshire have also made clear that they will not abide by DNC rules that require that state to hold the second Democratic primary in the nation. They have vowed to make sure that New Hampshire holds its primary before the Democratic South Carolina primary, which is planned for early February.
The Iowa caucuses, traditionally the first nominating contests, are expected to be held in January, though Democrats in the state have not yet committed to participating. If Iowa Democrats hold caucuses before early March, national Democratic officials have said, they will lose representation at the party’s nominating convention. Any candidate who participates in unsanctioned contests, like the ones expected in New Hampshire or Iowa, can also be punished under Democratic Party rules.
A spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee declined to comment Thursday on the developments. Democrats are expected to finalize the new and truncated early primary calendar when they meet in Minneapolis on June 16.
With Biden’s backing, Democrats proposed a calendar last year that started the primary season with South Carolina on Feb. 3, 2024, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire on Feb. 6, followed by Georgia on Feb. 13 and Michigan on Feb. 27. States do not need specific permission from the party to hold contests on the first Tuesday in March or afterward.
South Carolina state party leaders, who have the power to unilaterally set their primary dates, have said they will comply. Democratic lawmakers in both Nevada and Michigan have said they will also meet the party’s requirements.
