Georgia Democrats' bid for an early president primary to get a vote
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Georgia voters may jump closer to the front of the line in the 2024 Democratic presidential primary.
Driving the news: The Washington Post reported Thursday night that President Joe Biden asked Democratic leaders to move South Carolina to the first-in-the-nation slot, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire, then Georgia and Michigan, citing the need to elevate states with more diverse electorates.
- The Democratic National Committee could decide on the order as soon as this weekend.
Why it matters: Moving up the primary would give Georgians more sway in picking the presidential nominees and guarantee an infusion of cash, staff and high-profile candidate visits.
- The switch would also mean two Southern states with large populations of people of color — Georgia is 33% Black; South Carolina is at 27% — would hurdle less diverse states like Iowa..
What's next: The DNC's Rules and Bylaws committee is meeting today and could vote on an overhaul of the nominating contest calendar.
- The Georgia Democratic Party's pitch video highlights its growing, diverse population and its recent Democratic wins.
Flashback: The push to change the primary calendar picked up momentum after Iowa's 2020 caucuses devolved into disarray after tech and communication issues. That has compounded with a larger push in the party to allow a more diverse state to go first.
- Twenty states and territories applied for an early primary spot. Seventeen were invited to present their pitch to DNC officials over the summer
- The current early states — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — had to reapply under the process.
The other side: The RNC voted to stick with its 2020 schedule for early states.
What we're watching: Even if Georgia is not added to the early primary list, Atlanta remains a finalist for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.