primaries

No sooner had President Joe Biden told Democrats his preference for reordering the presidential primary calendar than states began balking. Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada all have state laws mandating when their voting will take place. Nonetheless, the Democratic National Committee's rule-making arm has approved a revamped schedule for early votes for the 2024 presidential primary. It says the first to vote should be South Carolina, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada on the same day, then Georgia and finally Michigan. If states defy the national party and hold primaries on their own schedule, there are a few possible penalties, including refusal to seat the state's delegates at the national convention.

President Joe Biden says Democrats should give up "restrictive" caucuses and move to champion diversity in the order of their presidential primary calendar. His recommendation deals a major blow to Iowa's decadeslong status as the state that leads off the process. In a letter to the rule-making arm of the Democratic National Committee, Biden does not mention specific states he'd like to see go first. But he's told Democrats he would like to see South Carolina moved to the front of the calendar, according to three people familiar with his recommendation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. He recommends that Michigan and Georgia move into the first five states.

Democrats may be moving toward shaking up their presidential nominating process starting in 2024. They're poised to boot Iowa from the lead-off spot as part of a broader effort to allow to go earlier less overwhelmingly white states that better reflect the party's diverse electorate. The Democratic National Committee rule-making arm is delaying the decision until after the November midterm election. But rules committee members say the party is leaning toward having either New Hampshire or Nevada go first - or perhaps on the same day. South Carolina would move from fourth to third. That'd free up a larger, midwestern state to perhaps go next, with Michigan and Minnesota making strong cases.

South Carolina's primaries end Tuesday with only two statewide runoffs, one for each party. Republicans will choose their candidate for the open Education Superintendent office, while Democrats choose their nominee for U.S. Senate to take on incumbent Tim Scott as he seeks a second full term. There also are six state House runoffs. Only one involves incumbents. Democratic Reps. Roger Kirby and Cezar McKnight were drawn through redistricting into the same district that stretches across three counties but is centered in Williamsburg County.

Sixteen states and Puerto Rico are jockeying for early slots on a new Democratic presidential primary calendar, offering presentations for party bosses on why they deserve to go first — or at least close to it. Iowa has held the leadoff position since 1972, but technical glitches undermined its Democratic caucus two years ago. That sparked clamor for change. States are pressing their case over three days of Democrats' Rules and Bylaws Committee meetings. The full Democratic National Committee plans to vote in August. It could opt to alter the current order of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — or keep it the same.

Former president Donald Trump is trying to unseat two incumbent Republicans who serve South Carolina's coastal congressional districts. He says they betrayed him.

South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mia McLeod has rolled out an agenda she says she hopes will advance opportunities for the state's Black population. This week, the state senator from Columbia released what she called her "Advancement Agenda for Black South Carolina." McLeod says she hopes to further partnerships with historically Black colleges and institutions to increase access to affordable homeownership, quality healthcare and financial stability. McLeod's plan does not otherwise spell out details on how she would propose to achieve those goals. McLeod will face other Democrats in June's primary, including former Rep. Joe Cunningham. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster has yet to draw a primary opponent raising significant money.

A political newcomer who owns car dealerships beat a member of the South Carolina House to win the Republican nomination for a state Senate seat left open when Sen. Hugh Leatherman died. Mike Reichenbach received 53% of the vote in Tuesday's primary, while Rep. Jay Jordan received 47%. Reichenbach will face Democrat and social worker Suzanne La Rochelle in the special election for the seat which covers much of Florence County and part of Darlington County on March 29.

Republicans in the four early presidential nominating states are jointly opposing a Democratic push in Nevada to make the Western state the first to hold a primary. GOP chairs Jeff Kaufmann of Iowa, Stephen Stepanek of New Hampshire, Michael McDonald of Nevada and Drew McKissick of South Carolina say in a statement issued Tuesday they want to preserve the historic schedule, which has led off with Iowa's caucus followed by New Hampshire's primary.

Nevada lawmakers have passed a bill aiming to make the state the first to weigh in on the 2024 presidential primary contests. The move on Monday upends decades of political tradition and is likely to prompt pushback from other early states that want to retain their places in the calendar. Nevada's bill still needs to be approved by Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak to become law, It also needs backing of the national parties. The push for Nevada to jump past Iowa's caucuses and New Hampshire's longstanding first presidential primary follows a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign led by former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.