Texas Democrats to apply for early presidential primary spot

• Iowa and New Hampshire, both overwhelmingly white and rural states, have had a lock on the early spots for decades.
• Now, Democrats are allowing any state to apply for one of up to five early slots on the primary calendar, potentially putting Iowa and New Hampshire at risk.

Driving the news: Angelica Luna Kaufman, a spokesperson for the Texas Democrats, confirmed the plans to Axios on Wednesday.

• A letter of intent is due by early May, and a formal application the following month.
• Texas meets many of the criteria set forth by a DNC resolution passed last week, including diversity — both racial and geographic — as well as competitiveness in a general election.
• A potential obstacle is the GOP-held state legislature, which needs to sign off on any plan to change the election date.

Details: Texas is the 10th state to throw its hat into the ring.

• Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina are all fighting to keep their spots, while Nevada is looking to jump ahead to first.
• Minnesota, Michigan, New Jersey, Nebraska and Washington are applying as well.
• Other states considering bids include Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Georgia.