Democrats shake up presidential primary calendar, demoting Iowa and New Hampshire

Key Facts

Democrats voted Saturday to allow South Carolina to hold the party’s first presidential primary next year, ending nearly 50 years of Iowa and New Hampshire leading the party’s nominating season.
As suggested, the plan also allows Biden to reward South Carolina, where his first-place finish in the state’s 2020 Democratic primary helped revive his campaign after losses in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Technically, New Hampshire was demoted from the first-in-the-nation primary state to tied for second with Nevada, but only if Republican Gov. Chris Sununu and the state’s GOP-led legislature decide to expand mail voting and repeal a state law that protects the coveted status of the state’s presidential primary.
New Hampshire Democrats have defended their traditional role in the primaries, stressing that the state’s small size, cheap media markets and engaged voters make it an ideal place for candidates to try their luck.