Senate votes to move up presidential primary

Michigan senators want the state to be on the political forefront when national primary season kicks off in 2008.

The Republican-led senate voted to move the primary date from Feb. 26 to Jan. 15.

The bill, passed Wednesday, aims to make Michigan the second state to hold a primary.

“This gives Michigan more relevance in the presidential race,” said Veronica LaDuke, communication director for Sen. Michelle McManus, R-Lake Leelanau, who was one of the bill’s sponsors.

LaDuke said voters won’t have to declare a party affiliation before the vote, which is currently required, but voters would only be able to vote on one party’s ballot.

“(The change) has the potential to draw approximately two million voters,” she said.

State Senate Democrats are opposed to the legislation because it would violate the Democratic National Convention, or DNC, rules. The DNC allows four states to hold their elections before Feb. 5, also known as “Super Duper Tuesday,” and Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina already fill those roles, LaDuke said.

“We did not support and have opposed that Senate bill that passed because it does not comply with DNC rules,” said Jason Moon, communications director for the Michigan Democratic Party.
The Republican National Convention, or RNC, has different rules, which allow the GOP to easily change primary dates.

The proposed primary date is causing problems for Michigan Democrats who received a warning Saturday after Florida attempted to leapfrog its primary to Jan. 29.

The DNC warned Florida that it will risk losing 210 delegates at the party’s nominating convention next summer if the state does not submit an alternative primary date. There is the possibility of Michigan also losing delegates if the state decides to change its Feb. 26 date, Moon said.

If the Senate is hoping to have the new date set in stone for Michigan, it will have to move fast. Other states, besides Florida, also are moving up their presidential primary dates. New Hampshire has submitted a plan to move its primary date to Jan. 22 — with an expectation it could be moved to an earlier date, and South Carolina’s GOP announced they would like to hold its primary Jan. 19, Moon said.

“There’s been talk of Iowa holding their caucus before Christmas. There is a limit to how early you can make this,” said Paul Abramson, an MSU political science professor and national election expert.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.