New Hampshire, which prides itself on its well-informed electorate and its emphasis on small-scale and grassroots retail politics, has for a century held the first primary in the race for the White House. While Republicans are making no changes to their presidential nominating calendar in the 2024 election cycle, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) voted earlier this month to overwhelmingly approve a new top of the calendar "pushed" by Biden that upends the traditional schedule.
Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., blasted President Biden for stripping the Granite State of America’s first Democratic primary. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
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New Hampshire will now vote second in the DNC’s calendar, along with Nevada, three days after South Carolina, under the new schedule.
Pappas said Biden, the leader of his own party, caused a "big disappointment" by stripping New Hampshire of its first-in-the nation primary status.
"We were not anticipating the president to come forward with a plan to reorder the primary calendar," Pappas told WMUR. "It is a big disappointment that he pushed the DNC to make these changes."
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The Democratic National Committee (DNC) voted earlier this month to overwhelmingly approve a new top of the calendar pushed by President Biden that upends the traditional schedule. (Anna Moneymaker)
Granite State Democrats have warned that New Hampshire will still go first — courtesy of a longstanding state law that mandates the leadoff primary position — and that a primary not sanctioned by the DNC, where Biden doesn’t take part, could invite trouble for the president.
"This process is bigger than any one president, and that’s why it is disappointing to see Joe Biden making this political move to put other states in front of New Hampshire when he knows full well that New Hampshire adds value, makes a difference, and is part of a diverse set of early states we should be maintaining for the DNC," Pappas said.
Pappas believes Biden simply chose the "easiest" calendar possible in case he decides to run for reelection.
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"He obviously was saved by the South Carolina primary the last time around," Pappas said. "The fact is, no one president or political leader should be shaping this calendar."
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.