CONCORD, N.H. – The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has set a deadline of January 6 for New Hampshire to comply with its demands regarding the First in the Nation Primary. New Hampshire’s response? Maybe you should reconsider.
In a letter from New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley released on Thursday, he reiterated that two of the three demands required by the DNC to acknowledge New Hampshire as an early primary voting state are infeasible.
The first, changing the date of the 2024 New Hampshire Democratic Presidential Primary to Feb. 6, 2024, would violate New Hampshire state law. New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan has said he will not deviate from the law, which requires New Hampshire to hold its primary on the first Tuesday in March or seven days prior to any comparable contest, whichever is sooner.
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu has said any proposals asking to change that law are “dead on arrival” and that the DNC does not dictate when primaries occur in New Hampshire.
This week, New Hampshire State Senate Majority Leader Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry) told members of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee that she does not intend to support changing the law. She was joined by New Hampshire State House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn) who informed those same DNC members that their request was “outrageous” and that any legislation honoring their request would be fiercely resisted, if it even existed.
Buckley added that the DNC’s request to change the date of the primary has handed a salient political attack that New Hampshire Republicans can use against Democrats.
“Already, they have begun to communicate to independents that this move shows that Republicans are the only party that cares about Granite Staters,” he said. “With so many critical races on the line in 2024 – including the presidential – this is an unfortunate, reckless, and self-inflicted blow.”
He added that withholding resources due to non-compliance with this demand would also harm the election and re-election of Democrats in the state.
The second demand, expanding early access voting, is something Buckley reiterated is out of the state party’s hands given Republican control of the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature, noting that only by electing Democrats can that change and these demands make that job tougher.
He added that Granite Staters have ranked in the top five nationally over the past five presidential cycles when it comes to voter turnout and ranked higher than any other state seeking to be part of the DNC early voting primary calendar.
New Hampshire State Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) repeated statements made in Buckley’s letter that New Hampshire’s all-Democratic Congressional Delegation and its state level leaders support no-fault absentee voting and have supported legislation making it easier to vote in New Hampshire.
“We believe that the strong Democratic support for no-fault absentee voting shows New Hampshire Democrats’ commitment to the goals laid out by the DNC,” said Soucy. “Punishing New Hampshire Democrats, who have no ability to address voting laws in the face of a Republican trifecta in the state, could have dire consequences for Democrats up and down the ticket in 2024.”
The Congressional delegation of U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan, Jeanne Shaheen, and U.S Representatives Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas echoed those sentiments in a joint statement.
“There is no question where Democrats in New Hampshire stand on the issue of voting rights: our federal delegation has voted to expand them and ensure that no one faces barriers to the ballot box. That’s why we strongly support Senator Soucy’s legislation creating no-fault absentee voting in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, in both Washington and New Hampshire, Republicans have blocked urgently needed voting reforms every step of the way,” they said. “Accordingly, the DNC’s demand that New Hampshire change its voting laws to hold an early primary is both unrealistic and unfairly punitive. Just three years ago, our Republican governor vetoed voting reform legislation and neither he, nor the Republican-controlled legislature, is likely to take their cues on this issue from the DNC. Even worse, the DNC’s proposed punishment of New Hampshire Democrats makes it less likely that we will be able to elect more Democrats here who will help us expand voting rights. We urge the DNC to understand the position that we are in and the negative consequences that their requirements will have on Democrats up and down the ticket in 2024.”
On Thursday, Sununu sent a letter to Soucy regarding the DNC’s actions, calling them misinformed and stating the DNC’s support of South Carolina, which had much lower primary turnout than New Hampshire’s.
“I have a message for (the DNC) and President Biden – you can try to come and take (the primary) – but that is Never. Going. To. Happen. It’s just not in our DNA to take orders from Washington,” he said in the letter to Soucy. “We will not be blackmailed. We will not be threatened, and we will not give up. You see – the New Hampshire Primary has stood the test of time, giving everyone a fair shot. No matter your name ID, the money in your campaign account or the elected office you held before running for President, for over 100 years, New Hampshire has given voice to lesser known candidates and provided a pathway to the presidency for anyone dedicated enough to test their mettle with the voters of New Hampshire.”
In regard to the third request, providing presidential primary candidates a copy of the state’s voter files for $10,000, Buckley said that the state party would acquiesce to that require if the DNC agrees to recognize that the New Hampshire’s primary will be held before the first Tuesday in March.
“Let us as Democrats enact a calendar that meets the goals of greater diversity earlier in our process while not putting the fortunes of Democrats in any state at risk,” he said.
