The first-in-the-nation Republican presidential caucus has officially been scheduled after Iowa Republicans gathered on July 8 and voted unanimously on the date.
“The Republican Party of Iowa is proud to announce that we will officially hold our 2024 First-in-the-Nation Caucus on January 15, 2024,” Jeff Kaufmann, chair of the Republican Party of Iowa, said in a statement.
As in past primary cycles, the Iowa caucus will be the first Republican presidential primary caucus in the nation, often described as the first major electoral test for White House contenders.
Early contest states play a crucial role in selecting the nominee since candidates who struggle with fundraising or popularity tend to drop out before campaigning in other states. These states also receive a lot of media attention and become centers for policy debates.
GOP ‘Committed’ Amid Democrat Shakeup
The announcement comes as the national Democratic Party in February approved changes to its presidential primary calendar for 2024. Instead, South Carolina has replaced Iowa in that party’s leadoff spot.Iowa Democrats have proposed changes to the caucus process, allowing them to conduct their presidential preference vote by mail.
Under the Democratic plan, which was endorsed by President Joe Biden, South Carolina will hold its primary on Feb. 3, 2024. This will be followed by Nevada and New Hampshire on Feb. 6.
“The Democratic Party looks like America and so does this proposal,” Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Jaime Harrison, of South Carolina, said at the time.
The change “continues to make us stronger and elevates the backbone of our party,” he said.
“We remain committed to maintaining Iowa’s cherished First-in-the-Nation Caucuses.”
He noted that Iowa Republicans are looking forward to “holding a historic caucus in the coming months and defeating Joe Biden come November 2024.”
“No matter what, Iowa Democrats are committed to moving forward with the most inclusive caucus process in Iowa’s history,” Ms. Hart said in the statement. “We’re committed to doing what’s good for Democrats, what’s good for Iowa, and what’s good for democracy.”
Other Moves
Elsewhere, South Carolina Republicans have set Feb. 24, 2024, as the date of their 2024 presidential primary, a move that the party says will give Republican White House hopefuls more time to campaign in the first-in-the-South state.While the selection still needs to be approved by the Republican National Committee to be official, South Carolina Republican Party Executive Director Hope Walker told The Associated Press recently that a formal submission will be sent ahead of the October deadline.
“This is a great opportunity for South Carolina Republicans and for our candidates and the voters in South Carolina to get to interact one on one, not just in large masses,” Ms. Walker told the outlet.
Democrats appear to have been struggling with Mr. Biden’s plan to overhaul the 2024 presidential primary schedule.
In late June, a DNC rules panel gave New Hampshire until Sept. 1 to comply with new rules that leaders there fiercely oppose. At the same time, the committee opted to not immediately offer such an extension to another battleground state, Georgia, which hasn’t set its date for next year’s primary.