National & Minnesota Report
On Friday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) voted to approve the Rules Committee approved Primary Calendar. Which was determined on December 22, 2022, when the DNC’s Rules Committee voted to approve a proposal reorganizing the early presidential primary calendar. Iowa was out altogether in the early stage and South Carolina as the first primary state on February 3, 2024, to be followed by New Hampshire and Nevada on February 6, with Georgia on February 13, and Michigan on February 27.
This decision does not preclude any state from holding their caucus/primary prior to this schedule, but the state which does so loses half of the ir delegates to the DNC convention. One additional proviso, in the case of Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Rafensperger (R-GA) has said he will not schedule the declared date unless the Georgia Republican Party agrees.
In turn, Minnesota falls into second tier, or rest of the field, which is eligible to hold their event afterward, with the next Tuesday being March 5, 2024.
It seems to us as we have said before, Minnesota should ally with Wisconsin and Iowa and hold its own regional event, a combination of caucus/primary, and they could even throw in North and South Dakota, for grins. This regional event, a mini-Super Tuesday, could become a Power Primary because of the regional aspect, and especially since Iowa was kicked to the curb, it will need some means to recover its tarnished crown.