Nevada vote clears way for Jan. primary in New Hampshire
Nevada today moved its caucus date back a month to Feb. 4, ending a cross-country power struggle with New Hampshire and paving the way for the Granite State to schedule its traditional first-in-the-nation primary in early January.
Nevada Republicans had originally scheduled their caucus for Jan. 14, infuriating New Hampshire officials, who said the date would throw the election calendar into chaos and force them to hold their primary in early December.
New Hampshire Republicans – from US senators on down to state representatives and grassroots activists – demanded that Nevada moves its date and called on Republican presidential candidates to boycott Nevada’s caucuses. Several of the candidates – including Jon Huntsman and Herman Cain – agreed, and the national GOP eventually joined the Granite State cause and called on Nevada to reconsider.
At a meeting of the Nevada GOP Central Committee in Las Vegas today, party members bowed to the pressure and voted to change the date to Feb. 4.
Michael Levenson can be reached at mlevenson@globe.com
About Political Intelligence
Glen Johnson is Politics Editor at boston.com and lead blogger for "Political Intelligence." He moved to Massachusetts in the fourth grade, and has covered local, state, and national politics for over 25 years. E-mail him at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen. |
