The Iowa Democratic Party is promising to rework its caucuses as party leaders begin a formal application process that will determine whether it can continue holding an early presidential nominating contest.
The state party submitted a letter of intent to members of the Democratic National Committee on Wednesday, notifying them that Iowa will be among the states making the case they should launch the presidential nominating process.
For the last 50 years, Iowa has kicked off that process with its first-in-the-nation caucuses. The DNC has long blessed the ritual, granting waivers to Iowa and three other states — New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — allowing them to hold their caucuses and primaries before the rest of the country.
But the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee voted in April to open up the process, allowing any state that wants to hold an early contest to seek a new waiver. States interested in obtaining a waiver were required to send a letter of intent followed by a full written application. The committee has scheduled meetings in June to consider in-person presentations from a select group of states it chooses to move forward in the process.
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Ross Wilburn said in an interview with the Des Moines Register that he believes Iowa will be among the states invited to make an in-person presentation.
The letter gives a preview of the arguments Iowa Democrats plan to make, including that national Democrats should consider the overall balance and diversity of the four early voting states as a whole. And it hints at changes that could be on the horizon for Iowa's caucus process, which is far more complicated than the primary elections held by most other states.
The state party submitted a letter of intent to members of the Democratic National Committee on Wednesday, notifying them that Iowa will be among the states making the case they should launch the presidential nominating process.
For the last 50 years, Iowa has kicked off that process with its first-in-the-nation caucuses. The DNC has long blessed the ritual, granting waivers to Iowa and three other states — New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — allowing them to hold their caucuses and primaries before the rest of the country.
But the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee voted in April to open up the process, allowing any state that wants to hold an early contest to seek a new waiver. States interested in obtaining a waiver were required to send a letter of intent followed by a full written application. The committee has scheduled meetings in June to consider in-person presentations from a select group of states it chooses to move forward in the process.
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Ross Wilburn said in an interview with the Des Moines Register that he believes Iowa will be among the states invited to make an in-person presentation.
The letter gives a preview of the arguments Iowa Democrats plan to make, including that national Democrats should consider the overall balance and diversity of the four early voting states as a whole. And it hints at changes that could be on the horizon for Iowa's caucus process, which is far more complicated than the primary elections held by most other states.
Iowa Democrats promise to revamp caucuses in letter seeking to maintain early nominating contest
The Iowa Democratic Party is starting an application process that will determine if it can continue holding first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses.
www.press-citizen.com
Iowa Democrats promise to revamp caucuses in letter seeking to maintain early nominating contest
The Iowa Democratic Party is starting an application process that will determine if it can continue holding first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses.
www.press-citizen.com
