Mark your calendars (with pencil rather than pen) — the Democratic National Committee voted to move South Carolina into the first presidential nominating slot, ahead of Iowa and New Hampshire.
If all goes according to Democrats’ plan, South Carolina’s primary will be on Feb. 3, 2024; Nevada and New Hampshire will go on Feb. 6; Georgia will follow on Feb. 13; and Michigan’s primary will be on Feb. 27.
That calendar, however, isn’t set in stone — Georgia and New Hampshire will need the cooperation of Republican lawmakers in their states to approve those changes, and New Hampshire Democrats are warning they may still hold an unsanctioned primary at the top of the calendar and risk being stripped of their delegates later.
But Democrats remain poised to overhaul their nominating calendar as President Biden readies his re-election bid, beginning to make the case for another term at Tuesday’s State of the Union. While the president is facing lackluster poll numbers, a classified document investigation and the reality that he’s 80 years old, party insiders are increasingly getting on board as the specter of former President Donald Trump winning the GOP nomination looms large.
In other campaign news…
Trump talk: Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is planning to pitch himself “as an anti-war dove amongst the hawks,” Politico reports. Meanwhile, his 2016 campaign voided non-disclosure agreements for campaign workers and volunteers from his 2016 run as part of a $450,000 settlement in a class-action lawsuit by a former campaign worker.
And on Friday, Trump posted on social media that he “totally” disagreed with Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who said the Capitol Police officer who shot and killed a woman attempting to enter the House chamber on Jan. 6, 2021 “did his job.”
DeSantis watch: Florida legislators are planning to consider a proposal expanding GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis’ program sending migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.
Harris hand wringing: The New York Times explores how Vice President Kamala Harris has “struggled to define her role,” fueling a “quiet panic” among Democrats worried that she could not win the White House if Biden doesn’t run for re-election.
Hoosier future former congresswoman: Indiana Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz will not seek any office in 2024, the first House member to announce their retirement this cycle.
How one mega-donor couple embodies the GOP split: Politico reports on how Liz and Dick Uihlein, two of the Republican Party’s biggest donors, have taken opposing sides in past intra-party battles, including most recently the election to lead the Republican National Committee.
Santos accused of sexual harassment: A former volunteer for Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., has accused Santos of groping him in new allegations to the House Ethics Committee.
