By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD — In a year when two critical races in New Hampshire could determine the majorities in the US House and US Senate, the Democratic National Committee decided to ignore decades of tradition and history and give another state the first-in-the-nation presidential primary.
The same committee moved South Carolina’s presidential primary ahead of New Hampshire’s in a lopsided vote Friday, just as they did four years ago at the request of then President Joe Biden, who finished well back in the 2020 New Hampshire Presidential Primary to have his candidacy resurrected by the South Carolina vote several weeks later.
Last time giving South Carolina the first presidential primary for Democrats resulted in confusion and failed to have the desired effect of giving a state with a more racially diverse electorate the first say in choosing the party’s nominee for president.
Iowa retained its first in the nation caucus in 2024 but its tally bogged down and results were not known for a week or more.
New Hampshire, as it is expected to do for the 2028 presidential primary, moved its primary before South Carolina’s in 2024 and established a write-in campaign for Biden, who won easily without serious opposition only to drop out later in the year after a dreadful showing in his first debate with now President Donald Trump.
The reaction in New Hampshire to the decision was swift from both parties as Democrats seek to break the Republicans’ grip on the State House while Republicans try to loosen Democrats’ grip on the state’s four congressional seats in the upcoming general election in November.
NH Democratic state Chair Raymond Buckley blasted the decision by the national party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, which still needs approval by the national committee when it meets next month.
“Today’s vote shows that many party insiders have learned nothing from 2024. New Hampshire has a proven track record of testing our candidates with a rigorous, fair, and efficient process, yet those qualities did not prevail,” he said. “This committee’s vote does not change the realities governing New Hampshire’s primary, which are beyond the control of both this committee and our state party.”
The New Hampshire Presidential Primary is not set by either party but by the Secretary of State, who has flexibility to set the date to conform with state law requiring the state primary be held at least a week prior to a similar event.
In the past, former Secretary of State Bill Gardner waited often until other states had set their dates and then set New Hampshire’s date to ensure it would be first.
Buckley also warned giving the first primary to South Carolina over New Hampshire could impact the races in the Granite State in the upcoming midterm elections.
”Democrats’ guiding North Star should be winning general elections, and New Hampshire Democrats will get back to work focusing on the 2026 elections and addressing the significant challenges facing America’s overwhelmed working class,” Buckley said. “Today’s vote moves the party further away from that objective.”
The state’s all Democratic congressional delegation, US Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, and US Reps. Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander, released a joint statement criticizing the committee’s decision and touting the state’s renowned retail politics.
“The Democratic National Committee’s decision today is wrong for Democrats, wrong for New Hampshire, and wrong for the country. New Hampshire’s First in the Nation primary is a tested proving ground in a closely contested swing state that forges better candidates and better presidents — and despite what DNC insiders say, that hasn’t changed,” the four said. “As a state with highly engaged voters, we put candidates through their paces and thoroughly vet them. And our small size means that actually meeting and talking to voters takes precedence over super PACs or mega-donor-fueled campaigns.”
Despite the vote by the national rules committee the four said they would continue to work hard to elect Democrats in November.
“Regardless of today’s vote, Granite Staters remain committed to the hard work of organizing and electing candidates who stand up for our Live Free or Die values.”
Shaheen is not seeking re-election this year, and Pappas is running for the state’s US Senate Democratic nomination, which has produced a robust race for his House seat.
On the Republican side, two former US Senators, John E. Sununu and Scott Brown are seeking the Republican US Senate nomination.
Republicans, who in the past have had their own problems with their national committee over the state’s primary status, said they will be voting first in the 2028 presidential primary when the date is set.
Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte called the decision wrong.
“The Democratic National Committee is completely wrong to disregard New Hampshire’s First-in-the-Nation primary,” she said. “I fully support Secretary (David) Scanlan upholding state law that puts our primary first. We will not back down from defending New Hampshire’s place in history, and I look forward to hosting the first primaries for both parties in 2028.”
House Election Law Chairman Ross Berry, R-Weare, and Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, said the DNC has again turned its back on Granite State voters.
“For the second time this decade, the Democratic National Committee has turned their back on Granite Staters,” said Chairman Berry. “The DNCs decision to give up on the First-in-the-Nation primary is disappointing, but not surprising considering that socialists and progressives are engaged in a mass exodus out of the Live Free or Die state.”
Majority Leader Osborne concluded, “Democrats may have abandoned New Hampshire, but make no mistake. New Hampshire Republicans will vote first.”
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cinde Warmington also criticized the Democratic committee’s vote.
“I’m deeply disappointed that the DNC overlooked the Granite State, to the detriment of not only New Hampshire but the entire country. New Hampshire is unmatched when it comes to preparing and vetting candidates, challenging them to earn the support of Granite Staters through face-to-face conversations with voters,” she said. “Regardless of this outcome, our work to build a better, more affordable New Hampshire — where working families can get ahead — continues.”
New Hampshire held its first presidential primary in 1916 and established it as the “first-in-the-nation” tradition in 1920 when it set the date as the same day as traditional town meetings, the second Tuesday in March.
Prior to the 1952 presidential primary, voters selected delegates to represent them at the national convention. but then switched to a direct vote for the candidate.
The event draws national and international media as candidates engage the state’s voters on main streets, in restaurants, gymnasiums, libraries and in “town hall meetings” where the candidates are questioned.
The primary has produced a number of upsets over the years as Gene McCarthy came close enough to knocking off President Lyndon Johnson in the 1968 primary to have Johnson withdraw from the race, and John McCain trounced George W. Bush in the 2000 primary, although Bush would go on to win the nomination.
The New Hampshire Presidential Primary is a semi-closed race, in that you have to be a member of the party to vote but the state’s large group, independents, can take which party ballot they want, but need to change their status back to independent after the election if they want to remain independents.
Independents outnumber both Republicans and Democrats in New Hampshire and often are the determining factor in who wins at the national, state and local level.
Garry Rayno may be reached at garry.rayno@yahoo.com.