(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – HAPPENING NOW: Iowa’s Republican Party stated on Saturday that the presidential nomination caucuses will occur on January 15. This date coincides with the federal holiday that honors Martin Luther King Jr. Therefore, the first votes of the 2024 election will be cast in a little over six months as Republicans aim to regain control of the White House.
Candidates for the White House from the Republican side have been campaigning in Iowa since last winter. However, there has been some confusion regarding the caucus date, which traditionally commences the Republican nominee selection process. The main change here has been the revision of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) election calendar, which no longer places Iowa as the first competition.
The Iowa Republican Party’s central committee unanimously voted for the third Monday in January. This date is several weeks earlier than the previous three caucuses, though not as early as the one held in 2008, just three days into the new year.
This decision may affect both parties. Iowa’s Democrats had been awaiting the GOP’s date selection as they try to adapt to the DNC’s new rules concerning primary order.
Democrats have suggested having their caucus on the same day as the Republicans and allowing mail-in ballots for presidential voting. However, Iowa Democrats have stated they might not release the results immediately.
This approach might enable the state party to hold the nation’s first caucus without breaking the new election calendar endorsed by President Joe Biden and approved by the DNC. This new schedule positions South Carolina, not Iowa, as the opening state to kick off primary voting on February 3.
Unlike primary elections, caucuses are organized, funded, and executed by political parties, not state election officials. The announcement from Iowa provides New Hampshire, which has yet to determine its primary election date, the opportunity to preserve its status as the first-in-the-nation primary, as stated by its state law. This law necessitates that its contest be held at least seven days before any other primary.
South Carolina Republicans decided last month on February 24 as their traditional first Southern primary date. This leaves ample room for Nevada to schedule its Republican caucuses without clashing with New Hampshire.
Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann stated, “We remain committed to maintaining Iowa’s cherished first-in-the-nation caucuses, and look forward to holding a historic caucus in the coming months and defeating Joe Biden come November 2024.”
