GA Dems aim for increased prominence in 2024
GA Dems seek to shake up primary calendar, host DNC
After a presidential election cycle that saw Democrats capture Georgia’s electoral votes for the first time since 1992 and sweep both U.S. Senate seats in blockbuster runoffs, Georgia Democrats are seeking to play a bigger role in the 2024 presidential nominating contest.
Democrats are planning to reshuffle the primary calendar in future elections, as many voters now believe that the early states — particularly Iowa and New Hampshire — are no longer reflective of the party’s diverse electorate.
For the last several months, states have been allowed to submit bids to become one of the first states to participate in the presidential primary. Georgia Democrats have sent a letter to the national party expressing their interest in moving their primary to an earlier date.
Republicans say that the move is an inside plot to position Stacey Abrams for a White House run in 2024. Abrams, who is once again running for governor, has expressed interest in running for President but has said that she will not do so if she wins this year’s race for governor.
The Democratic National Committee is set to finalize a new primary calendar in June.
This isn’t the only coveted spot that Georgia Democrats are competing for in 2024. We also learned that Atlanta has submitted a bid to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention, the big celebration where delegates meet to officially nominate a presidential candidate.
“We are going to do everything in our power to bring the 2024 Democratic National Convention to Atlanta, Georgia,” Mayor Andre Dickens said at the Georgia Democratic Party’s annual state dinner last week.
Georgia’s capital city last hosted the Democratic National Convention in 1988. That year, the party nominated Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis for President.
Atlanta joins at least seven other cities competing to host the convention. Chicago and Houston are among the other cities jockeying to welcome Democrats in the summer of 2024. Republicans, meanwhile, have already narrowed down their 2024 convention sites to Nashville and Milwaukee.
GOP critics were quick to respond to Atlanta’s announcement. “The people of Atlanta have suffered enough at the hands of Democrats,” said a Republican National Committee spokesman. “Hosting the Democrats’ national convention would only rub salt in a broke, crime inflicted wound.”
The DNC is giving prospective host cities until the end of the month to submit hosting bids.