The Democratic National Committee recently sent a letter to the New Hampshire Democratic Party expressing criticism over the state’s upcoming primary process.

“The event on January 23, 2024 cannot be used as the first determining stage of the state’s delegate selection process and is considered detrimental,” the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee’s co-chairs, Minyon Moore and James Roosevelt Jr., wrote in the letter. 

While Democrats sought to make South Carolina their first-in-the-nation primary this year, on February 3, New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan announced last year that the state would defy orders and hold its primary on January 23. The Granite State has a law that says the state must hold its primary one week before any similar contest.

In response, President Biden elected not to put his name on the state’s primary ballot.

“We are aware that the Party intends to host a delegate selection process on Saturday, January 6,” adds the letter to New Hampshire Democratic Party chairman Raymond Buckley, which was first obtained by Politico. “We advise you to inform participants that this process has not been approved by the RBC and is therefore not the approved route to become a Delegate to the National Convention, nor will it be recommended for approval by the RBC.”

Buckley responded to the letter in a statement to Politico saying it’s “nothing new. They’ve been saying that for a year, yet we persist.”

While Iowa and New Hampshire have traditionally been the first states in Democrats’ nominating process, President Biden and the DNC decided South Carolina should kick start the party’s process this year in an effort to increase racial diversity.

“The Democratic Party looks like America, and so does this proposal,” DNC Chair Jamie Harrison has said.