Lawmakers in the state of Nevada have passed a bill they hope puts a Nevada Primary ahead of Iowa’s Caucuses in 2024. If Nevada’s governor signs the bill into law, it sets up a political fight.
Iowa’s Caucuses have been the nation’s first test for presidential candidates for decades. New Hampshire law requires that state to host the nation’s first primary. Any change in the positioning of presidential primaries and caucuses requires approval from the two major political parties. Iowa Democrats and Republicans have fended off challenges from Michigan, Louisiana and Florida.
Presidents Bush, Obama and Trump have favored keeping the primary and caucus system they traversed to get to the White House in place for their re-election campaigns, but delayed results from Iowa’s 2020 Caucuses and complaints about a lack of diversity in Iowa and New Hampshire have fueled a debate among Democrats about re-ordering events in the party’s presidential nominating process.
Some Iowa Democrats have argued the Caucuses are a distraction and the party would be better off if the Caucuses are canceled. Iowa Republican Party leaders say the GOP has no plans to abandon the Caucuses. A handful of Republicans who are considering a run for the White House in 2024 have already made trips to Iowa this year or have announced appearances here this summer.