Some Democrats trying to stop Iowa, New Hampshire from voting first in 2024

With the early steps in determining the next Democratic presidential nominating process now underway, there’s a burgeoning intra-party battle over whether Iowa and New Hampshire should retain their positions as the first caucus state and first primary state in the party’s nominating calendar.

Among the ideas are pushing South Carolina and Nevada – which have much more diverse Democratic electorates than Iowa and New Hampshire – to the front of the primary and caucus calendar. Also under discussion are kicking off the process with multiple states holding contests on the same day, and phasing out the remaining caucuses in favor of primary elections. Sources say that among those discussing such changes are former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. Both are longtime rainmakers in the Democratic Party who have close ties to President Biden, who will likely have the ultimate say in whether there are dramatic changes to the party's nominating calendar.