New Hampshire Dems poised to regain delegates to national convention
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Democratic National Committee officials are expected to vote this week to restore New Hampshire's delegates to the party's national convention, after state Democrats over the weekend held a small, party-run primary to comply with national Democrats' rules.
New Hampshire Democrats lost their state’s delegates to the convention after holding an unsanctioned primary in January, ignoring the DNC’s new presidential nominating calendar. At the behest of President Joe Biden, the DNC reordered the early state line-up this year by promoting South Carolina, demoting New Hampshire and eliminating Iowa altogether from its storied first-place perch.
On Saturday, Biden — who already won the unsanctioned primary via a write-in campaign in January — prevailed in the state again, as dozens of New Hampshire Democrats showed up in an effort to regain their status within the party and earn back their 24 delegates. The state party held a “firehouse” primary, a party-run process, in order to comply with DNC rules.
The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws committee, the group charged with setting the national party’s rules, is expected to restore New Hampshire’s delegates at their meeting on Tuesday, according to one person with direct knowledge of the committee’s thinking and granted anonymity to speak freely.
“We congratulate NHDP on running a successful primary this weekend that ensures the delegate selection process is compliant with RBC rules and allows the voices of Democratic voters in New Hampshire an opportunity to be represented at the convention in August,” a DNC official said in a statement shared with POLITICO.
The move to restore New Hampshire’s delegates — despite a prolonged, contentious fight between the state’s Democratic leadership and the DNC — was long expected, after New Hampshire Democrats backed the write-in campaign.
Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, a close ally of Biden’s, called for the DNC to “not to hold the state law in New Hampshire against our Democrats” and to restore New Hampshire’s delegates the night his state held its historic first-in-the-nation primary in February.
“Our delegate selection process is complete and our delegates will be seated at the convention,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley. “We’re committed to re-electing President Biden.”
