Two New Hampshire lawmakers are boycotting a White House congressional ball Monday over a plan backed by President Biden. Hold the Democratic presidential primary in the Granite State a few days back.
Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan will not attend the annual event at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
“As Sen. Shaheen said, the president’s proposal leaves New Hampshire Democrats vulnerable from top to bottom in 2024.” Shaheen’s rep told The Hill.
“It didn’t have to be an mutually exclusive decision — it could have pushed more different states to an earlier date while keeping New Hampshire as the first primary. Instead, it would have given New Hampshire Republicans over Democrats. targeting and giving independents the political fodder they’ve been waiting for to sway them from supporting Democrats in key local, state and federal elections,” the spokesperson added.
Democratic National Committee Rules and Regulations Committee voted to make South Carolina the first state last week In 2024, Iowa replaced Iowa as the first state to vote for Democratic presidential candidates.
Under the new arrangement, the Palmetto State primary will be held on February 3, 2024. Nevada and New Hampshire will hold primaries three days later, Georgia on February 13 and Michigan on February 27.
Hasan, who is running the ball, called the plan, backed by Biden, “very wrong.”
“I strongly oppose the president’s extremely wrong proposal to change the primary calendar. Make no mistake, New Hampshire law is clear and our primary position remains first in the nation. Hasan wrote on Twitter last week.
“Because our state is small, candidates from all walks of life, not just those with the biggest war chests, can compete in the unique retail politics that is our state’s hallmark. This will ensure that the candidates are battle-tested and ready to fight for the highest office of our country,” Hasan continued.
“We always hold the first place and this status does not depend on the President’s proposal or any political organization,” he added.
The Post has reached out to Shahin and Hasan’s offices for comment.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended the plan Monday despite the uproar in states like Iowa and New Hampshire.
“To him, respecting our diversity as a nation and breaking down barriers for our people is a fundamental principle,” he said.
Jean-Pierre added that the president is “making sure that we see diversity clearly expressed across the country in his administration, and he wants to honor those values.”
In a letter to the DNC last week, Biden said primary results in a small state like New Hampshire “marginalized” candidates before they had a chance to appeal to diverse voters.
“Too often over the past fifty years, candidates have abandoned their candidacies or been sidelined by the press and pundits because of poor results in small states before voters cast their ballots,” Biden wrote.