Last Thursday, President Joe Biden expressed his interest in the Democratic National Committee making primaries start with more diverse states.
On Friday, the DNC voted to approve a plan they have been floating for several months to significantly change the primary schedule.
Here’s the news in a nutshell:
The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee met last week to consider changes to the party’s nominating calendar after circulating a proposal earlier this year. Ahead of the meeting, the President sent a letter to the committee stating, “Our early states must reflect the overall diversity of our party and our nation-economically, geographically, demographically.” Biden continued,”This means more diverse states earlier in the process and more diversity in the overall mix of early states. Working class families are the backbone of our economy. Union households must be represented in greater numbers than before. We need to include voters from many backgrounds, not to ratify the choice of the earliest states, but as full stakeholders in making the choice.”
According to sources, he specifically wanted primaries to start in South Carolina, the first state Biden won in the 2020 primaries.
Democratic primaries have started in Iowa for about 50 years. But their caucus format, and lack of racial diversity, has drawn widespread criticism. About 90 percent of Iowa residents are white, compared to South Carolina, where it’s 69 percent white. This is a closer representation of the country’s demographics (which is 75.8% white) and the Democratic Party’s, where only about 59% of white voters identified with the party in 2019.
There’s been expected pushback to the proposed changes. One Iowa GOP senator, Joni Ernst, told Fox News it was “middle finger” to middle America.
As per CNN, enacting the new dates could be a “steep challenge,” as primary dates are set at the state level. In Georgia, for instance, its Republican Secretary of State selects one day for both Republican and Democratic primaries. In South Carolina, however, each party may select their own primary date.
After passing through the rules committee last Friday, the proposed changes are up to a full DNC vote in early 2023.
