New Hampshire Democrat Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan will skip the White House congressional ball Monday as backlash for President Joe Biden supporting a plan to change up the Democratic primary calendar.
A Democratic National Committee panel voted Friday to make South Carolina the first state to cast ballots, replacing Iowa as the first caucus state and put New Hampshire and Nevada on the schedule three days later.
Biden argues the moves would advance diversity in the system by ending New Hampshire’s century-long run as the home of the first-in-the-nation primary.
“As Senator Shaheen has said, the President’s proposal unnecessarily makes Democrats in New Hampshire, from the top to the bottom of the ticket, vulnerable in 2024,” said the senator’s spokesperson, Sarah Weinstein, in a statement to The Hill.
“This did not have to be a mutually exclusive decision — he could have advanced a more diverse state to an earlier date, while maintaining New Hampshire as the first primary election. Instead, New Hampshire Republicans were gifted the political fodder they’ve been waiting for to target Democrats and dissuade Independents from backing Democrats in pivotal local, state and federal elections,” Weinstein said.
Shaheen’s office confirmed she would not attend Monday night’s congressional ball at the White House.
“Tonight, Senator Shaheen is focused on helping to make New Hampshire’s case heard,” the Shaheen spokesperson said.
The changes will take effect come the 2024 presidential election amid calls to increase diversity in the party’s presidential nomination process.
“Too often over the past fifty years, candidates have dropped out or had their candidacies marginalized by the press and pundits because of poor performances in small states early in the process before voters of color could cast a vote,” Biden said in a letter sent to the DNC last week.
New Hampshire and Iowa argue that state laws require them to keep their early spots.
Hassan’s office said the senator would not be attending the ball over the Biden-backed plan, calling it “deeply misguided.”
“Because of our state’s small size, candidates from all walks of life — not just the ones with the largest war chests — are able to compete and engage in the unique retail politics that are a hallmark of our state. This ensures that candidates are battle-tested and ready to compete for our nation’s highest office,” Hassan wrote.
“We will always hold the First in the Nation Primary, and this status is independent of the President’s proposal or any political organization,” she added.