State touts DNC by first scrutinizing presidential candidates

One important question was repeated when Washington, D.C. Democrats asked one after another from the state why they were scrutinizing the party's presidential candidates first. state. 

Members of the Democratic National Committee's Bylaws (RBC) Committee evaluated the state. This committee will decide in early August whether to make some changes to the state's order. Vote for the nomination process or add a fifth state. The

lineup was last shuffled in 2006. Since then, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina have been the first four states to host the Democratic National Committee.

DNC was early after criticism that Iowa and New Hampshire were not as diverse as the first state of the process thought it should be. State review process.

"Two small states shouldn't have such a different impact on anyone, Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingel, who will become president, told CBS News:" They are great states. I have many friends from them, but they do not reflect the diversity of this country. "

This week, 16 states and Puerto Rico proposed to the Commission. The committee will meet in July, decide on the lineup in August, and then have a full DNC vote in September.

In many states, you have a superior agent to sell. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Deputy Governor Peggy Flanagan represented the state. US Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan attended New Hampshire. Governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy leads the pitch, and Michigan is narrated by Dinger, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Lieutenant Garling Gilchrist II, and Detroit Pistons basketball legend Izaya Thomas. It was represented by the attached video. 

And the same day each Chamber of Commerce was considering voting for the gun bill, US Senate majority Whip Dick Durbin came to a presentation in Illinois on Thursday. And on Friday, the Senate majority Whip Jim Clyburn made a pitch in South Carolina.

Both Iowa and New Hampshire defend the current slot of the schedule, with limited pockets of state demographic diversity, but with educational diversity and rural and urban areas. Other factors such as the working class territory are taken into account.

"As a Democrat, you can't form a party without considering diversity in the broadest sense. You have to be sure to deal with Americans in the working class in the region, or else You can't win as a party. Iowa's Democratic Chairman, Ross Wilburn, said after the state's presentation, "We can't make more use of the diverse communities across the country." 

Nevada has announced that it aims to jump over Iowa and New Hampshire to become the first state of the primary. Its representatives cited Nevada's ranking as a strong reason to take the top spot as the third most demographically diverse state in the country. 

"We cannot allow the party to focus solely on tradition at the expense of actual representatives," said Clark County Commissioner William McCardy II.

Two Midwestern states, Minnesota and Michigan, have the potential to join or replace the lineup of Iowa, resulting in high pitch demographic diversity. I emphasized. Members thought their proposal was strong, but wondered if they could get the Republican approval needed to change their major dates.

Michigan needs the approval of the GOP majority legislature, while Minnesota needs a green light from the state's Republican Party. 

"I don't pretend to understand what the Republican Party looks like today, but there is a historical precedent that we have really worked closely with, especially turnout," said the Democratic Party. Governor Tim Walz Minnesota told CBS News. "Traditionally they worked together, so I think that's the case."

Dinger was optimistic, but how talks with the Republican majority in the Michigan Parliament It was unclear to the Commission as to whether it had progressed, but pointed out the support of the two former Michigan Republican chairs. 

"We have had a very good and powerful conversation," she told the committee. 

Texas and Georgia also emphasized the growing diversity and predicted that early democratic investment in the state would pay dividends to the party in the general election. 

Members of the RBC have accepted to assess different types of diversity across racial differences. This can be useful for states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. On Friday, New York member Leah Daughtry said, "All parts of voters, including whites, see themselves in the early state process as having a voice that is important and should be considered. I need to. "

Iowa in particular has been scrutinized further after the 2020 Democratic rally raised technical issues regarding reporting and sharing of results. In response, state Democrats are reviewing the caucuse process to have attendees fill out and mail the presidential election card before attending the caucuses directly. 

Some RBC members were confused about the relationship between Iowa's proposed process and how representatives were assigned. They also questioned whether it was too close to the main method and would cause a conflict with New Hampshire, which requires state law to be the first major state in the country. 

"DNC clearly prioritizes primaries. It is not possible to have primaries because of the restrictions of Iowa law. Therefore, the operating process of the state or political party It's like a primary election as much as possible, without violating Iowa law, and we're going to be the first, "said Scott Brennan, RBC's only member of Iowa. rice field.

However, access to ballot boxes is generally at the forefront of committee members, and many limit or question the legitimacy of 2020 election results. He acknowledged that the shift of the electoral authorities of the republic could affect the nomination of the state. To process.

In 10 of the 16 states presented, the Secretary of State will be elected in November this year. 

RBC Chair Jim Roosevelt often asked who the state's chief election officer was and whether the individual was a refusal. Some Republican candidates for state secretary, such as Jim Marchant of Nevada, have overturned the groundless allegations of former President Donald Trump's widespread fraudulent vote and cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 election results. increase. 

"Determining what to do with the early states requires a well-executed process, and the entire state that was a refusal in this past cycle. Election officials couldn't expect that, "Roosevelt told CBS News. "We can't expect them to comply with the laws of the primary process."

By 2024, when the president is expected to run for reelection, the impact of the change may not be fully apparent. I have. In that case, some states can cancel the primary if a sufficient number of challengers are not eligible to vote. 

"Everyone is paying attention. Some people think that the primary season may be active even though there is an incumbent president, and many people think that there is an opportunity. I think I'll drive Iowa to number one, "Roosevelt said.

Fritz Farrow contributed to this report.