Sept. 30, 1999
By
Tom Cronin
CyberCaucus 2000 News Service
Drake University
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa political leaders discussed Tuesday the preservation of Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus status, following an announcement New Hampshire will hold its primary Feb. 1., rather than Feb. 7.
Bill Gardner, New Hampshire secretary of state, made the announcement Tuesday, responding to Delaware officials who said they will probably hold the state's Republican primary Feb. 8, said Shannon Tesdahl, communications director of the Democratic Party of Iowa. Iowa officials previously expected the New Hampshire primary to be held Feb. 7 and the Delaware caucus to be held Feb. 15, she said.
New Hampshire state code requires its primary to be seven days before all other primaries, and Iowa state code requires the Iowa caucuses to be eight days before all other caucuses and primaries, said Ann Dougherty, communications director of the Republican Party of Iowa.
Dougherty said Gardner's announcement was a "big surprise."
"It was sort of a shock," she said.
Kayne Robinson, chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, and Rob Tully, chairman of the Democratic Party of Iowa, discussed Tuesday the possibility of moving the Iowa caucuses to earlier dates. Robinson and Tully will attempt to have officials in New Hampshire and Delaware move their primaries and caucuses to later dates, but may move the Iowa caucuses to earlier dates if unsuccessful, Dougherty said.
The proposed date of the Iowa Democratic caucus is Feb. 7, but the date has not been officially set, Tesdahl said.
About a week ago, the State Central Committee of the Iowa Republican Party announced the Iowa Republican caucus will be Jan. 31, Dougherty said.
No changes were made to Iowa caucus dates as a result of the meeting.
"[Whether the Iowa caucuses are moved] all depends on what the other states are doing," Dougherty said. "I think, ideally, we would probably stay on the 31st. If [New Hampshire and Delaware] don't move, we'd have to consider moving to the 24th."
Chet Culver, Iowa secretary of state, has been in communication with Robinson and Tully about the caucus dates, said Donn Stanley of the secretary of state's office.
Along with Robinson and Tully, Culver formed the Iowa First-in-the-Nation Caucus Commission May 27. The commission's purpose was to preserve Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus status.
In a press release following the announcement of the commission, Culver said: "There are moves afoot in several states to undermine the long-standing tradition where Iowa has served the nation as the first real testing ground for presidential candidates. Our caucuses provide all of the candidates with an opportunity to visit many of Iowa's 950 towns, discuss important issues face-to-face with Iowans and develop their platforms. The caucuses are a tremendous benefit to the candidates and to our state."
Although caucus dates are determined by political party leaders while primary dates are decided by the secretary of state, the secretary of state's role as commissioner of elections makes him a key figure in the caucuses, Stanley said.
"He has a natural role in trying to promote the Iowa caucus," he said.
In the May 27 press release, Culver stressed the importance of cooperation between Democratic and Republican party leaders in protecting Iowa's status. "This is about the future of our caucuses," he said. "Our joint efforts will help ensure that Iowa keeps its historic status as the first-in-the-nation caucus."
In the past, the Iowa Democratic and Republican caucuses have usually been held on the same day, Dougherty said. Although Democrats have not moved the date of their caucus from Feb. 7, it is likely they will because both parties have worked together to set caucus dates, she said.
"It proves beneficial for both parties to have [the caucuses] on the same day," Dougherty said.
All Democratic primaries and caucuses are governed by the Democratic National Committee, which does not permit states to change the dates of their primaries and caucuses once they have been officially announced, Tesdahl said. Several states have requested to change primary and caucus dates, but were denied by the committee.
There are no policies, however, governing changes in dates of Republican primaries and caucuses, she said.
Tesdahl said although it's beneficial for the Democratic and Republican caucuses to be on the same day, it's more important to ensure that Iowa keeps its first-in-the-nation status.
Dougherty said Iowans have put a lot of effort into the caucuses, and Iowa's caucus status benefits the state both economically and politically.
"We want to do what's best for Iowa," she said.