Staff Reports
In a not-so-surprising move, President Joe Biden has decided not to file to have his name on the 2024 New Hampshire Democratic primary ballot. The President’s reelection campaign made this announcement on Tuesday, choosing to skip a contest that the state plans to hold despite the White House’s objections. Julie Chavez Rodriguez, manager of Biden’s campaign, wrote a letter to the New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair explaining that the president must comply with party rules, even though he wishes to participate in the primary.
But fear not, New Hampshire! Biden is not abandoning you completely. He eagerly looks forward to having his name on the state’s general election ballot as the Democratic Party’s nominee. After officially securing the nomination at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Biden will dedicate himself to tirelessly campaigning and earning every single vote in the Granite State come November.
This decision by Biden comes after his calls to shake up the order of the 2024 primary, moving Iowa’s leadoff caucus to South Carolina to give more power to black and other minority voters. Although the Democratic National Committee approved a new 2024 calendar that included this change, New Hampshire has refused to back down. They argue that state law mandates hosting the first primary and have vowed to hold one prior to South Carolina’s, no matter what the DNC says.
The DNC has warned that such defiance could lead to an unsanctioned primary, risking sanctions that may cost New Hampshire delegates to the 2024 Democratic convention in Chicago. However, New Hampshire voters can still write in Biden’s name during an unsanctioned primary. In fact, some of the state’s top Democrats have already organized an effort to encourage write-in support for the President.
Biden Won't Appear On New Hampshire Democratic Primary Ballot https://t.co/Emc31q9nJ4
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) October 25, 2023
Although the formal date for New Hampshire’s 2024 primary has yet to be set, the Democratic Party Chair, Raymond Buckley, made a bold statement in response to Biden’s decision. He confidently declared, “The reality is that Joe Biden will win the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation primary in January, win renomination in Chicago, and will be re-elected next November.” Looks like someone is quite optimistic about their chances!
Interestingly, Biden is not the first sitting president to skip appearing on the New Hampshire primary ballot. Back in 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson also decided not to file for the state’s primary, yet he managed to win through write-in votes. However, strong competition from Minnesota Sen. Eugene McCarthy’s second-place finish in the state led Johnson to announce his decision not to seek reelection just a few weeks later.
It seems that the battle over the primary order is heating up, and it will be interesting to see how it all unfolds. Will New Hampshire continue to hold its ground? Will Biden’s decision to skip the primary impact his chances in the general election? Only time will tell. But for now, let the write-in campaigns begin!
