Iowa Democrats will hold their caucuses in January and release the results on Super Tuesday in March, following negotiations with the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the state party announced Friday.
Presidential preference cards will start to go out by mail Jan. 12, and in-person precinct caucuses will be Jan. 15. Iowa Democrats will release the mail-in caucus results March 5.
“We believe this delegate selection plan is a compromise and meets the requirements set forth by this committee, complies with Iowa law, and most importantly sets Iowa Democrats up to win in 2024,” Rita Hart, chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party, wrote in a letter to committee members and chairs.
The new schedule lets Iowa hold on to its starting spot on the Democrats’ presidential nominating calendar and fits in compliance with Iowa law requiring in-person caucuses but doesn’t go against a new plan to put South Carolina first in 2024.
President Biden last year endorsed a shake-up of Democrats’ presidential nominating calendar for next year’s election that boots Iowa out of its first-in-the-nation caucus spot, stressing that “first contests should represent the diversity of the party and country.”
Hart noted in her new letter that the DNC could revisit the calendar plans come 2028.
“I am pleased to have repeated reassurance from the co-chairs and this committee that the presidential nominating calendar discussions will once again be opened up for 2028, where I expect Iowa to compete strongly for a significant voice in the selection of the Democratic nominee as we have for years,” Hart said.