Iowa Could Lose Top Spot to South Carolina As First Voting State in 2024

South Carolina could bump Iowa to become the home of the first presidential primary election, after the Democratic National Committee (DNC) voted on Friday – the first time in five decades.

The DNC approved moving the Palmetto’s State primary to February 3rd, shifting it to the front of the calendar, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire three days later.

The move came after President Joe Biden sent a letter to the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, explaining his reasoning for the shake-up to the nominating calendar. He emphasized the influence of the initial contests, and why he thought they should represent America’s diversity, “economically, geographically, demographically.”

“Too often over the past fifty years, candidates have dropped out or had their candidacies marginalized by the press and pundits because of poor performances in small states early in the process before voters of color cast a vote,” Biden wrote.

“Just like my Administration, the Democratic Party has worked hard to reflect the diversity of America – but our nominating process does not,” he wrote. “It is time to update the process for the 21st century.”

Iowa has held the first primary for the past 50 years, since 1972, the Associated Press reported.

Although the DNC’s rule-making arm took the first step toward making South Carolina the first state to hold a primary, the entirety of the DNC still has to vote to approve of the changes in early February.

“I didn’t ask to be first,” said House Majority Whip and South Carolina’s lone Democrat Rep. Jim Clyburn. “It was his idea to be first.”

“He knows what South Carolina did for him, and he’s demonstrated that time and time again, by giving respect to South Carolina,” Clyburn added.

“This proposal reflects the best of our party as a whole, and it will continue to make our party and our country stronger,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said.

Iowans are not as pleased. “Democrats cannot forget about entire groups of voters in the heart of the Midwest without doing significant damage to the party in newer generations,” said Scott Brennan, a DNC member from Iowa.

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley tweeted his disappointment: “Democratic National Committee is pulling the plug on the Iowa Democratic Party & that’s the WRONG THING TO DO I hope Iowa Democrats don’t throw in the towel.”