DNC panel makes Michigan an early presidential primary state
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – Presidential candidates in 2024 will be putting more attention onto Michigan following a vote by a ruling-making panel of the Democratic National Committee.
When it comes to presidential elections, Iowa has been the first stop for candidates since the 1970s.
But in 2020, a technical glitch sent the caucuses into a tailspin.
Now a shake-up is underway for 2024.
On Friday, a DNC committee voted for South Carolina to hold the first Democratic Presidential Primary instead of Iowa.
New Hampshire would still be second, along with Nevada, followed by Georgia and Michigan.
"Which means we're going to have a seat at the table, we're going to be able to drive the national agenda at the absolute highest level," Alexis Wiley, founder of Moment Strategies, told CBS Detroit.
In a letter to the DNC on Thursday, President Joe Biden says diversity is a big reason behind the change.
"We are the home of labor. We're the home of growing industry; we have very strong farming rural communities and then very strong urban communities across the state," Wiley said.
The Michigan Senate recently voted to bump up the presidential primary from the second Tuesday in March to the second Tuesday in February.
"In states that have early primary processes, every politician from around the country ends up coming through your state to raise money and raise their exposure in your state. So, it gives us an opportunity, as Michiganders, to educate people from other states, other regions about what's going on here in Michigan, and maybe develop some alliances that can help Michigan achieve its political gains in Washington," Jason Roe, a Republican strategist said.
The move will still have to be approved by the full DNC in a vote, likely early next year.
"It really means that, for the first time, Michigan will matter in the Democratic Presidential Primary," Wiley said.