By Andy Sullivan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Nevada is poised to challenge Iowa and New Hampshire to become the first state to vote in the 2024 U.S. presidential nominating contests, a move that would shake up a political system that has been in place for decades.
Both chambers of its Democratic-controlled state legislature passed a bill over the weekend that would seek to make its primary the nation’s first, subject to the signature of Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak and the approval of the national Republican and Democratic parties.
Sisolak’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether he would sign the legislation.
It is far from the first time a U.S. state has sought to cut in front of Iowa and New Hampshire, which for decades have held off challenges, sometimes hosting their contests in early January to do so.
Advocates say fast-growing Nevada better reflects the racial and economic diversity of the country than disproportionately white and rural New Hampshire and Iowa.
Iowa’s Democratic caucus was also marred by technical woes https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-iowa-problems-explainer/explainer-election-meltdown-what-went-wrong-at-the-iowa-caucuses-idUSKBN1ZY2B9 in 2020 that delayed official results by several weeks. Nevada was the third state to hold a nominating contest last year.
The Nevada bill would change the state’s nominating contest from party-run caucuses to a primary election administered by the state, to be held on the first Tuesday in February. Advocates, including several progressive groups, said that would allow more voters to participate.
Officials with the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee did not immediately respond to queries about whether they would support Nevada’s move.
Nevada’s Republican Party has warned that national political parties could ignore the results if they decided that it violated their rules. “Trying to play chicken with primary dates is not a battle we will win,” Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald wrote to state lawmakers in April.
It is likely to spur resistance from officials in Iowa and New Hampshire, who argue that their small populations and inexpensive media markets allow lesser-known candidates to build a following.
“We are working hard to ensure Iowa continues to have a crucial voice in the Presidential nominating process,” Iowa Democratic Party Chair Ross Wilburn said in a statement.
(Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Peter Cooney)
