The Democratic National Committee this weekend voted to dramatically change the dates of contests in the presidential selection process for 2008.
According to the plan, the Iowa Caucuses will continue to be the first-in-the-nation contest in the presidential nominating season, but the Democratic National Committee voted to wedge Caucuses in Nevada before New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary. South Carolina’s primary will be held quickly afterwards.
That means the four contests will be held within a two week period in January of 2008. Democratic party officials said it would put more diverse states — that means states with larger minority populations — in the mix with predominantly white Iowa and New Hampshire. While Iowa Democrats have embraced the change, New Hampshire Democrats are ready for a fight.
The 2008 Iowa Caucuses today are scheduled for January 14th, but New Hampshire may move its primary date ahead of all the other contests, including Iowa’s, and that decision will likely come in late 2007.