DETROIT — Michigan Democrats say they'll work to make the battleground state's presidential primary take place earlier in 2024, as their party considers reshuffling the voting order for the next election.
"It’s time for Michigan to take a lead in the presidential primaries," U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., told the crowd at the state Democratic Party's endorsement convention at Huntington Place in Detroit on Saturday.
For years, Democrats and Republicans in Michigan have discussed moving the state's presidential primaries up to give them more influence in the selection of the parties' nominees. But those hopes have not panned out as planned.
Democrats contended on Saturday the situation is different for 2024 because of a national push to put states that are reflective of the country at the beginning of the Democratic voting calendar.
Iowa and New Hampshire have traditionally been at the front of the process. In 2020, their primaries or caucuses occurred in early February. Michigan's primaries didn't take place until March 10.
The Washington Post reported last week, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., was part of discussions in Michigan to organize a bid for the state to go earlier when and if the Democratic Rules and Bylaws Committee begins accepting applications for the next nomination order.
The rules committee meets Wednesday and Thursday and then, Dingell said, the panel has a week to come up with guidelines for the process.
Dingell and Stabenow are heading up the party effort to put Michigan forward for consideration. Dingell previously led similar efforts with the late Sen. Carl Levin of Detroit. Their argument is Michigan is more representative than the states that currently go first.
"We have urban areas, rural areas, significant cultural representation. We reflect the diversity of the country, and we're a purple state — that's the reality," Dingell said.
In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden narrowly won Michigan's presidential election, defeating Republican Donald Trump by 3 percentage points. In 2016, Trump won the state, beating Hillary Clinton by less than 1 point.
David Hecker, president of the American Federation of Teachers Michigan, has been part of the discussions about the future of the state's presidential primary. The difference between what's happening now and past efforts is there's more interest nationally in figuring out how the first positions are shared, Hecker said.
The early states have to reflect the country, he added. Michigan does, he contended.
"It’s important to have Michigan, if not first, extremely, extremely early so the candidates see the importance of Michigan and spend more time in Michigan and understand our issues and our values," Hecker said.
At the Democratic Party convention Saturday, party members said the push to move the primary earlier was serious and could be successful. Lavora Barnes, chairwoman of the Michigan Democratic Party, is influential among the Democratic National Committee, they said.
But they acknowledged Democrats would have to work with the Legislature, currently controlled by Republicans, to set the new date and would likely have to get Republicans to hold their primary earlier, as well.
The chairwoman of the Republican National Committee is currently a Michiganian: Ronna McDaniel.
In Michigan, voters don't register by their party affiliation, meaning they can choose which primary to participate in each year, providing an opportunity for a larger number of Republicans to sway a close Democratic race. It's unclear where Michigan Republicans stand on the idea of setting an early primary date for their party for 2024.
In 2008, Democrats and Republicans in Michigan worked together to move their presidential primaries to Jan. 15. However, national Democratic leaders voted ahead of the primaries to penalize the state for jumping ahead by stripping its delegates, the Associated Press reported.
Then-Sen. Hillary Clinton remained on the ballot, but other candidates including then-Sen. Joe Biden, then-Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards withdrew their names from the ballot. The Democratic National Committee later voted to seat Michigan's delegation but only allow each delegate a half-vote before restoring full voting strength shortly before the convention in Denver.
For Democrats, the discussion about the primary order could have less impact for 2024 if President Joe Biden seeks reelection as the party's nominee.
Nevada, another battleground state, has also begun pushing to go earlier in the 2024 primary calendar.
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