New Hampshire bucks Democrats, announces Jan. 23 primary

New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan announced Wednesday that the state’s Democratic presidential primary would be held on Jan. 23, ahead of South Carolina’s contest. 

Tensions have been ramping up between New Hampshire Democrats and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) over the committee’s decision to make South Carolina’s primary the first in the nation, taking place Feb. 3. 

President Biden did not file for the New Hampshire primary, citing obligations to comply with DNC guidance. His supporters in the state have launched a write-in campaign.

Scanlan criticized the DNC’s vote to move South Carolina’s primary up and pushed back against the argument that South Carolina was a more diverse state, saying it set a “dangerous” precedent for deciding the presidential contest.