New Democrat challenges Biden in primary, and he wants to move SC’s spot on the calendar
Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips, who launched a longshot Democratic primary challenge of President Joe Biden, said he would restore New Hampshire’s contest in 2028 to first in the Democratic nominating order, displacing South Carolina, which kicks off the Democratic process this cycle.
“I believe in tradition. I believe our entire country can and must learn from New Hampshire,” Phillips said when filing to run in the 2024 New Hampshire Primary, according to the Union Leader.
But South Carolina was moved to first in line for the 2024 process by the Democratic National Committee as a nod to Black voters who make up a significant portion of the Democratic base.
South Carolina will hold its Democratic Primary on Feb. 3. The DNC then chose Feb. 6 for Nevada and New Hampshire.
“As a Black man from S.C., a descendant of the enslaved folks who were brought to this nation, I’m looking forward to the ‘new’ tradition of having S.C. kick off the presidential process for the Democratic Party,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
New Hampshire had traditionally voted second after the Iowa caucus, and the new order approved by Democrats would keep the Granite State in that position.
However, the national party said it would revisit the presidential primary order every four years.
New Hampshire has a state law that mandates it hold the First in the Nation Presidential Primary. Democrats in New Hampshire have been unable to come into compliance with the 2024 DNC primary order, as Republicans control the legislature and the governor’s office in the Granite State. The New Hampshire primaries are expected to be held in January, and whether the DNC strips delegates from New Hampshire remains to be seen.
Biden, who called for the order change, lost the Iowa caucus, New Hampshire primary and Nevada caucus in 2020 before winning the South Carolina primary, propelling him the party nomination and eventually the White House.
South Carolina’s First in the South contest is the first state where Black voters make up a majority of the primary voting electorate. Moving South Carolina to the front of the voting line is considered a way to give Black voters more say in naming the eventual Democratic nominee.
Democratic Party officials in South Carolina say the Philips campaign has yet to contact the state party, which state party Chairwoman Christale Spain said is a sign “he’s not serious,” told Politico.
Spain also called Phillips “a distraction” because “any serious Democratic candidate would understand that Black voters in South Carolina have been the backbone of the Democratic Party.”
However, Phillips campaign advisor Steve Schmidt said, according to Politico, the campaign will focus on New Hampshire, South Carolina and Michigan, which holds its primary on Feb. 27.
Filing for the South Carolina presidential primary runs from Nov. 1-10. The cost to appear on the Democratic ballot is $20,000.
This story was originally published October 27, 2023 at 1:34 PM with the headline "New Democrat challenges Biden in primary, and he wants to move SC’s spot on the calendar."
