New Hampshire’s status as the “first in the nation primary” is being discussed again after Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus seemed to say moving the timing of the “Live Free Or Die” state’s presidential nominating contest shouldn’t be off the table.
According to The New Hampshire Union Leader:
“Granite Staters who will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the New Hampshire presidential primary in 2016 are once again defending its first-in-the-nation status.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus rekindled decades-old griping about the early states when he let it slip he wants to shake up the nominating calendar after 2016.
“I don’t think there should ever be any sacred cows as to the primary process or the order,” Priebus told the National Journal on Tuesday.”
Republicans and Democrats alike defended the primary in the article, saying it’s important and they are ready to fight to keep it.
“Terry Shumaker, a former Democratic National Committeeman who worked on the nominating calendar a decade ago with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and others, said New Hampshire’s value is indisputable.
“Like the late, great Yogi Berra said, ‘It’s deja vu all over again,’” he said of a challenge to the political calendar. “The RNC didn’t give us the New Hampshire primary and the RNC isn’t taking it away.”
Jennifer Horn, chairman of the Republican State Committee, said the New Hampshire GOP is committed to beating back any threat to the primary.
“New Hampshire has earned its place as the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state because our voters are sophisticated and take their role in the nomination process seriously,” Horn said in a statement.”
The primary is scheduled for 2-9-2016, with NH Secretary of State Bill Gardener about to announce the filing requirements and deadline to submit required paperwork as early as this week.
