Why is New Hampshire the first in the nation primary state? This former lawmaker made it so

January 22, 2024

New Hampshire has long been known as the location of the first state primary of each general election cycle. But few people are aware of how the Granite State attained its first-in-the-nation status nearly 50 years ago.

USA Today reports that 78 year old former state lawmaker Jim Splaine is the man credited with proposing the bill that mandated New Hampshire’s leading status in state primaries.

This year, the state is defying The Democratic National Committee which had sought to schedule the earliest primary of the year on Feb 3 in South Carolina, followed by Nevada on Feb 6.

New Hampshire has chosen instead to maintain its pole position by moving its primary to Jan 23 citing Splaine’s legislation as well as tradition. This could place the state at odds with the national party’s leadership.

The DNC has threatened to sanction local Democrats who participate in tomorrow’s primary which could potentially cut the size of the New Hampshire delegation at the party’s nominating convention in half.

Being the first primary election of the year isn’t just a matter of state pride. There are practical reasons for getting New Hampshire residents out to vote early in the election year.

Splaine told USA Today:

“Since we are a small state, it is less expensive for candidates to be able to run here and more likely that they are able to meet people. We talk with people face to face, one on one, and that’s a fact that it simply does not occur in a place like New York State, or California or Michigan or some of the southern states of Florida. I think that’s something that we don’t want to lose.“

According to USA Today, the DNC sent a letter earlier this month encouraging the state’s Democratic Party to warn voters that tomorrow’s primary would be inconsequential.

New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella responded with a cease and desist order, saying that telling voters that the primary is “meaningless” would be a violation of state law.

Photo, top: Jim Splaine Credit: Jasper Colt/USA TODAY