Early state GOP chiefs: Don’t mess with the primary calendar!
Republican parties from the first four states to weigh in on the presidential nominating process, including Nevada, issued a joint statement Tuesday in favor of maintaining the current electoral order.
“As the GOP leaders of the four carve out states, we want to make clear that we stand together in protecting the presidential nominating schedule as it has existed for many years,” reads the statement from state GOP chairs Jeff Kaufman of Iowa, Stephen Stepanek of New Hampshire, Michael McDonald of Nevada and Drew McKissick of South Carolina.
“Our alliance is strong and we will continue to work together to preserve this historic process.”
The statement comes after the Democratic majority in the Nevada State Legislature passed, with support from several Republicans, Assembly Bill 126, which would switch the state from caucuses to presidential preference primary elections and move the Silver State’s nominating contest ahead of Iowa and New Hampshire.
If signed by Gov. Steve Sisolak, the new law would move Nevada’s newly established primary to the first Tuesday in February. Iowa and New Hampshire typically vote on nominees before Nevada, with South Carolina just after.
However, such a move would require buy-in from both national parties, which ultimately set the nominating calendar nationwide. Neither the Democratic National Committee nor the Republican National Committee have begun the formal assessment of the calendar, with both planning to take up the issue next year.
Although a state may set its election whenever it wishes, a party could effectively nullify the primary’s results by refusing to seat the state’s delegates at the party’s national convention. States that have gone rogue and threatened to move their primary dates have often been warned about such a sanction.
Nevada’s presidential caucuses were privately funded events held by state parties, which allowed for some flexibility in scheduling. However, the new primary system would require a state-run election on a set date.
The Nevada State Democratic Party has publicly supported the plan to move Nevada to a first-in-the-nation primary.
Contact Rory Appleton at rappleton@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0276. Follow @RoryDoesPhonics on Twitter.