Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Texas Presidential Primary to Stay on March 6
Brownback's Signature Cancels 2012 Kansas Primary
Floor Amendments Strip Out April Presidential Primary Provision from Texas House Bill
Louisiana Republicans Craft New Delegate Rules and Possible January Caucuses
The Louisiana Republican Party voted last weekend to move up their presidential caucuses to earlier in 2012, a move that could attract more GOP candidates to the state this year.
The state party is eyeing the last week of January or early February, depending on how the still-unsettled primary calendar is ultimately set.
To stay within RNC rules and out of the early-state window, the Louisiana GOP has set up a two-step process for picking presidential delegates. The winter caucuses will elect 25 delegates per congressional district. Presidential candidates will run slates of delegates in each of the congressional districts. Caucus participants will have the option of voting for 25 individuals or simply checking the box for a candidate and his or her official slate. Delegates could run as uncommitted, but most are likely to run on a candidate slate.
The new rules say a candidate has to receive at least 25 percent of the popular vote in the primary to be allocated "at-large delegates in proportion to the percentage of votes received." The remaining at-large delegates will go to Tampa uncommitted.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Kansas Democrats Plan to Caucus on April 14
Monday, May 23, 2011
GOP Caucuses and 2012 Scheduling: A Decision-Making Calculus
Reader MysteryPolitico asks:
How many other states hold caucuses that aren't binding? I remember in 2008, you had early February caucuses in ME, AK, MN, ND, KS, and WA. Is Minnesota the only one of those with caucuses that aren't binding towards delegate allocation? Because if not, then I guess some of those other states might end up sticking with early February as well, since they're not going to suffer any delegate penalties for it.
I would assume that if there are several non-binding caucuses in early Feb., that IA and NH would still consider that a threat, and move their contests into January, to maintain their first in the nation status...
But that's a pretty big if.
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UPDATE: One other option that may be appealing to the remaining caucus states -- that may tempt them into February -- is if it looks as if the proposed caucus date guarantees a stand-alone date for the precinct caucuses. If a state has the only event going on in a given week, then the candidates will be there -- binding or not.
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Democratic-Sponsored Bills to Move Minnesota Presidential Precinct Caucuses Appear Dead
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Companion Bill to Eliminate Separate Presidential Primary Introduced in New Jersey Senate
Friday, May 20, 2011
Time Running Out, House & Senate at Odds on Texas Primary Decision
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, R-Plano, said both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate "are vehemently opposed to a primary in April." Among the concerns is that any runoffs would not receive much attention as they would be held in late June.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The 2012 Presidential Primary Calendar (5/19/11)
Reading the Map:
As was the case with the maps from past cycles, the earlier a contest is scheduled in 2012, the darker the color in which the state is shaded. Florida, for instance, is a much deeper shade of blue in January than South Dakota is in June. There are, however, some differences between the earlier maps and the one that appears above.
- Several caucus states have yet to select a date for the first step of their delegate selection processes in 2012. Until a decision is made by state parties in those states, they will appear in gray on the map.
- The states where legislation to move the presidential primary is active are two-toned. One color indicates the timing of the primary according to the current law whereas the second color is meant to highlight the most likely month to which the primary could be moved. [With the exception of Texas, the proposed movement is backward.] This is clear in most states, but in others -- Maryland and Tennessee -- where multiple timing options are being considered, the most likely date is used. Here that is defined as a bill -- or date change -- with the most institutional support. In both cases, the majority party leadership is sponsoring one change over another (February to March in Tennessee and February to April in Maryland). That option is given more weight on the map.
- Kentucky is unique because the legislation there calls for shifting the primary from May to August. As August is not included in the color coding, white designates that potential move with the May shade of blue. Georgia, too, is unique. The state legislature is considering a bill to shift primary date-setting power from the legislature to the secretary of state. The effect is that the Peach state has a dark blue stripe for its current February primary date and a gray stripe to reflect the fact that a change from that based on the bill in question would put the future 2012 primary date in limbo until December 1 at the latest.
- Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina are shaded on the map according to the latest possible date these states would have if Florida opts not to move their primary into compliance with the national party rules. Iowa Republicans and Nevada Republicans and Democrats have decided to accept the party-designated dates, but FHQ operates under the assumption that both will move to a point ahead of the earliest exempt state should one or more move or maintain a February or earlier date.
- States that are bisected vertically are states where the state parties have different dates for their caucuses and/or primaries. The left hand section is shaded to reflect the state Democratic Party's scheduling while the right is for the state Republican Party's decision on the timing of its delegate selection event.
Reading the Calendar:
- Caucus states are italicized while primary states are not. Several caucus states are missing from the list because they have not formalized the date on which their contests will be held in 2012. Colorado appears because the caucuses dates there are set by the state, whereas a state like Alaska has caucuses run by the state parties and as such do not have their dates codified in state law.
- States that have changed dates appear twice (or more) on the calendar; once by the old date and once by the new date. The old date will be struck through while the new date will be color-coded with the amount of movement (in days) in parentheses. States in green are states that have moved to earlier dates on the calendar and states in red are those that have moved to later dates. Arkansas, for example, has moved its 2012 primary and moved it back 104 days from its 2008 position.
- The date of any primary or caucus moves that have taken place -- whether through gubernatorial signature or state party move -- also appear in parentheses following the state's/party's new entry on the calendar.
- States with active legislation have links to those bills included with their entries on the calendar. If there are multiple bills they are divided by chamber and/or numbered accordingly.
- Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina appear twice. The earlier entry corresponds with the latest possible date these states would have if Florida opts not to move their primary into compliance with the national party rules. The second, later entry for each of the non-exempt states reflects the position the national parties would prefer the earliest states to hold their delegate selection events.
2012 Presidential Primary Calendar
December 2011
Monday, December 5:
Iowa caucuses1
Tuesday, December 13:
New Hampshire1
Saturday, December 17:
Nevada caucuses1
January 2012
Tuesday, January 31:
February 2012
Monday, February 6:
Iowa caucuses (moved: 2/8/11) (based on national party rules)
Tuesday, February 7 (Super Tuesday):
Arkansas
California (bills: Assembly)
Connecticut (bills: House)
Delaware
Illinois
Montana Republican caucuses
New York
Oklahoma
Tennessee
Utah
Saturday, February 11:
Maryland
New Hampshire (based on national party rules)
Virginia
Washington, DC
Saturday, February 18:
Nevada Republican caucuses (-28) (moved: 12/16/10) (based on national party rules)
Nevada Democratic caucuses2 (-28) (moved: 2/24/11) (based on national party rules)
Tuesday, February 21:
Hawaii Republican caucuses (+88) (moved: 5/16/09)
Wisconsin
Tuesday, February 28:
Arizona3
Michigan4 (bills: House)
South Carolina (based on national party rules)
March 2012
Tuesday, March 6:
Massachusetts4 (bills: House)
Vermont
Virginia (-21) (bills: House 1, 2/Senate) (moved: 3/25/11)
Sunday, March 11:
Maine Democratic caucuses (-28) (moved: 3/27/11)
Tuesday, March 13:
Hawaii Republican caucuses (+67 and -21) (moved: 5/14/11)
Mississippi
Utah Democratic caucuses (-35) (moved: 3/25/11)
Tuesday, March 20:
Colorado caucuses5 (bills: House)
Illinois (-42) (bills: Senate) (moved: 3/17/10)
April 2012
Tuesday, April 3:
Kansas (bills: House/Senate -- cancel primary)
Maryland (-49) (bills: House/Senate 1, 2) (moved: 5/10/11)
Washington, DC (-49) (bills: Council) (moved: 4/27/11)
Saturday, April 7:
Hawaii Democratic caucuses (-46) (moved: 3/18/11)
Wyoming Democratic caucuses (-28) (moved: 3/16/11)
Saturday, April 14:
Nebraska Democratic caucuses (-60) (moved: 3/5/11)
Sunday, April 15:
Alaska Democratic caucuses (-70) (moved: 4/4/11)
Washington Democratic caucuses (-64) (moved: 4/30/11)
Tuesday, April 24:
Pennsylvania
Indiana
North Carolina (bills: Senate)
West Virginia
Tuesday, May 15:
Idaho (+7) (bills: House) (moved: 2/23/11)
Nebraska
Arkansas (-107) (bills: House) (moved: 2/4/09)
Idaho
Kentucky (bills: House) (died: legislature adjourned)
June 2012
Tuesday, June 5:
Montana (GOP -121) (moved: 6/18/10)
New Mexico6 (bills: Senate) (died: legislature adjourned)
North Dakota Democratic caucuses (-121) (moved: 4/21/11)
South Dakota
1 New Hampshire law calls for the Granite state to hold a primary on the second Tuesday of March or seven days prior to any other similar election, whichever is earlier. Florida is first now, so New Hampshire would be a week earlier at the latest. Traditionally, Iowa has gone on the Monday a week prior to New Hampshire. For the time being we'll wedge South Carolina in on the Saturday between New Hampshire and Florida, but these are just guesses at the moment. Any rogue states could cause a shift.
2 The Nevada Democratic caucuses date is based on both DNC rules and the state party's draft delegate selection plan as of February 24, 2011.
3 In Arizona the governor can use his or her proclamation powers to move the state's primary to a date on which the event would have an impact on the nomination. In 2004 and 2008 the primary was moved to the first Tuesday in February.
4 Massachusetts and Michigan are the only states that passed a frontloading bill prior to 2008 that was not permanent. The Bay state reverts to its first Tuesday in March date in 2012 while Michigan will fall back to the fourth Tuesday in February.
5 The Colorado Democratic and Republican parties have the option to move their caucuses from the third Tuesday in March to the first Tuesday in February.
6 The law in New Mexico allows the parties to decide when to hold their nominating contests. The Democrats have gone in early February in the last two cycles, but the GOP has held steady in June. They have the option of moving however.