Richard Tafoya
Feb 13th, 2007, 04:11 PM
New Hampshire and Iowa just faded into the background.
LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-primary14feb14,0,3518245.story?coll=la-home-headlines
The California Senate voted today to move the state's presidential primary from June to February in hopes of increasing the state's political clout -- but the plan could backfire.
The Senate passed SB 113 on a 31 to 5 vote, which would enable Democrats and Republicans to choose presidential nominees Feb. 5 instead of June 3. The five votes against were cast by Republican senators.
The bill is expected to also clear the Assembly and be signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who supports the move.
Lawmakers hope that an early California primary will force contenders to rethink a campaign strategy that traditionally focuses on face-to-face persuasion in New Hampshire and Iowa, which hold the country's first primaries or caucuses, in January.
But at least four other big states are poised to hold early primaries, potentially eroding the greater role California hopes to play.
Legislation similar to California's is pending in Illinois, Texas, Florida and New Jersey — some of the most heavily populated states — and politicians in New York and elsewhere are pondering early primaries. Pennsylvania and Indiana have bills that would move their primaries to the first week in March.
LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-primary14feb14,0,3518245.story?coll=la-home-headlines
The California Senate voted today to move the state's presidential primary from June to February in hopes of increasing the state's political clout -- but the plan could backfire.
The Senate passed SB 113 on a 31 to 5 vote, which would enable Democrats and Republicans to choose presidential nominees Feb. 5 instead of June 3. The five votes against were cast by Republican senators.
The bill is expected to also clear the Assembly and be signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who supports the move.
Lawmakers hope that an early California primary will force contenders to rethink a campaign strategy that traditionally focuses on face-to-face persuasion in New Hampshire and Iowa, which hold the country's first primaries or caucuses, in January.
But at least four other big states are poised to hold early primaries, potentially eroding the greater role California hopes to play.
Legislation similar to California's is pending in Illinois, Texas, Florida and New Jersey — some of the most heavily populated states — and politicians in New York and elsewhere are pondering early primaries. Pennsylvania and Indiana have bills that would move their primaries to the first week in March.