![]() But then-President Jimmy Carter, seeking reelection and with sway over his party, pushed for an exception for Iowa and New Hampshire, states that had jump-started his 1976 campaign and might serve as a firewall. For that election cycle, the Democratic National Committee imposed a rule condensing nomination contests into a 13-week window, beginning in early March. But Iowa started even earlier than dictated by the new rules, essentially because of a fluke involving high demand on hotel rooms.īy 1980, Iowa had secured its role as the first caucus and New Hampshire was designated as the first primary. ![]() That meant Iowa had to start early, since the state’s process involved a series of contests, not just the prominent precinct caucuses. The reformed system, in the interest of allowing time to publicize contests, required 30 days’ notice of delegate selection contests. That Iowa went first in 1972, though, was not so much a deliberate move for positioning as an unintentional byproduct of another national party rule. Under the initial terms of the 1972 reforms, the national party didn’t limit how early in the election year a state could hold its nomination contest. According to nomination expert Elaine Kamarck, 25% of 1968’s presidential delegates were selected in 1967, well before what’s now considered the formal start of the nomination race. At the party convention, the candidate with the majority of delegates wins the nomination.īefore the 1972 reforms, delegate selection wasn’t always tied to outcomes in primaries and caucuses. Technically, at the primaries and caucuses, voters select the delegates who support the presidential candidate they favor. The package of reforms, implemented first in 1972, sought to take presidential nominations out of the proverbial back room and make them more open, more democratic. The national committee has kept control over the calendar for a long time, starting down that path when it overhauled nomination rules after the contentious 1968 Democratic national convention. Even so, the national party is well positioned to call the shots at the state level, shored up by a now decadesold Supreme Court decision establishing the national party’s superiority over state parties. parties are federal in nature, their organizational structures reflecting the array of elective offices for which they compete, from county sheriff to the president. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Who gets to choose? 11, 2020, when the New Hampshire primary was held. The first contests don’t determine who will win, but they typically knock some candidates out of the running.Įlection workers at the Elks lodge, Ward 4, in Dover, N.H., on Feb. Candidates flock to the early states, interacting with voters and sometimes tailoring their policy appeals to the needs unique to a state. Going early matters because it gives Democrats in those states a larger voice in the nomination. In fact, Iowa’s claim on that privileged position is very much at risk, especially given its 2020 caucus counting fiasco, which I detail in my book, “ Inside the Bubble.” It’s tempting to flag this all as a ploy to dislodge the Iowa caucuses from their leadoff role, a position they’ve held since 1972. Sixteen states and Puerto Rico just made their pitches to the national party to be among the first to hold contests, with a decision expected later this summer. It’s taken the unusual step of setting up a competition among state parties to help it set the 2024 calendar. This time around, the Democratic National Committee is targeting that mix of states that will start the nomination process, hoping for something better than what’s been in place. All those pieces must produce a process long enough to ensure real competition, but not so long that internal party fences can’t be mended well in advance of the general election. Visit for more information on area hotels, restaurants, and attractions.The party needs to balance the legitimacy that comes with a process making it easy for average Democrats to insert their voices with the safety valve that lets savvy party insiders weigh in on the selection. ![]() Hotel Website Des Moines Visitor Information
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