Washington – Michigan has crashed the early-primary party, setting up showdowns with the major parties and likely pushing the presidential nomination calendar closer to 2007.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a bill Tuesday moving both presidential primaries to Jan. 15. Michigan’s move threatens to set off a chain reaction that could force Iowa and New Hampshire to reschedule their contests even earlier than anticipated, perhaps in the first week in January or even December.
“While political maneuvering will no doubt continue, our move to Jan. 15 is final,” Granholm said in a statement.
The parties have tried to impose discipline on rogue states. On the Republican side, early-voting states risk losing half their convention delegates next summer if contests are held before Feb. 5, though some are banking that whoever wins the GOP nomination will restore the delegates.
Democrats have experienced similar problems, but party officials hoped they had stopped the dash to move up by threatening to strip Florida of all its delegates for scheduling a primary Jan. 29 and by persuading the major candidates to campaign only in party-approved early states.
Michigan, in moving up its primary, faces a similar penalty from the Democratic National Committee.
