Michigan Democrats move to make state first in 2024 presidential nominating process

Michigan Democrats are planning to ask the national party to make their state the first to hold a presidential nominating contest in 2024 — bringing a challenge to historically first-in- the nation Iowa, followed by New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

Rep. Debbie Dingell says she is speaking with stakeholders across the state to try to put together a bid for later this spring.

The Democratic Rules and Bylaws Committee will soon open its application process for the next nomination order.

Dingell argues her state is well suited to kick off the next nominating process.

"First of all, we are purple," she told the The Washington Post. "The issues we are facing reflect the diversity of what the country is facing, from rural areas to urban areas, manufacturing areas to farming areas. We are a mini-America."

Nevada is also competing to become the first nominating state. Last year, the state passed a law to replace its caucus voting process with more traditional primary voting.

The simultaneous plays by the states are the first time in more than a decade that new bids have been made to switch up the early voting order.

Officials from the Democratic National Committee will likely vote later in April to allow any state or territory to apply to hold nominating contests prior to the first Tuesday in March of 2024, the day the presidential nominating process begins, which in years past has been the Iowa Caucus. 

The committee is expected to permit as many as five states to vote in that time frame and is looking to prioritize states that can prove a diverse electorate and general-election competitiveness. 

While Wisconsin has expressed a desire to continue voting on the first Tuesday in April, there is a general desire among Democrats to bring in another Midwestern state, especially as Iowa is likely to be removed from the early nominating order. 

"We believe Michigan's voice should be heard," Lavora Barnes, chairperson of the Michigan Democratic Party, said Tuesday. "Our voices must be heard in the primary and the general. There is a lot of interest across our party in the process."