Campaign

NH Democratic Party chairman rips Bloomberg op-ed as ‘desperate for some press attention’

by Julia Manchester - 01/13/20 2:37 PM ET

The chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party slammed a recent op-ed from Michael Bloomberg on Monday about the lack of diversity in early primary states, saying the Democratic candidate was desperate for press attention.

“It seems like Michael Bloomberg is having some second thoughts about his choice not to campaign in South Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire & Iowa — and is doing what many candidates in that position have done who are desperate for some press attention,” Chairman Ray Buckley said in a statement on Monday.

“Anyone who thinks New Hampshire isn’t consequential in the general election must also believe that Al Gore served a term as president of the United States,” he added.

Bloomberg argued in a CNN op-ed on Monday that New Hampshire, as well as Iowa, take candidates’ focus away from more diverse states in the primary process.

“The Democratic Party reflects America’s incredible diversity. But the first two voting states, Iowa and New Hampshire, are among the most homogenous in the nation,” the former New York City mayor wrote.

“While it’s great that candidates reach out to voters in these states at every pancake breakfast and town hall around, what about African-American, Latino, Asian American, Pacific Islanders, and other voters in places like Detroit, Montgomery, Phoenix, and Houston?” he continued.

Bloomberg, who launched his presidential campaign in November, has focused his campaign’s energy on later primary states due to his later entrance into the race.

He is not the first candidate this cycle to point out the lack of racial diversity in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Former Democratic candidate Julián Castro argued in November that the two states should lose their status as hosting the first-in-the-nation nominating contests.

Tags Al Gore Bloomberg campaign Diversity Michael Bloomberg op-ed