Republicans in Iowa unanimously agreed on Saturday to hold their presidential primary elections on January 15, 2024, which will be the earliest they have done since 2012.
After speaking with Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, Iowa GOP chairman Jeff Kaufmann said he "feels very secure right now" about the state's position as the first in the country.
He said, "I obviously checked with the RNC, with RNC legal, and with Ronna herself, who certainly set Iowa up to be first in the nation again by appointing me to that commission. "Therefore, I feel very, very secure that no states will attempt to do that at this time," she said.
After months of vigorous Iowa campaigning by Republican candidates, the announcement comes at a crucial time, according to experts interviewed by ABC News.
According to Kaufmann, "the candidates have ultimately decided this." "They practically made Iowa first-in-the-nation a done deal when they started coming to Iowa in droves last year."
When questioned about choosing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as the caucus date, Kauffman responded that January 15 was the earliest and most natural date for Iowa, but that there were "good questions" raised regarding it falling on a federal holiday.
"I think the fact that it's a federal holiday and that as Republicans, we see this as honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King in terms of having a caucus here, I think both of those advantages were a part of our conversation," said the Republican.
The Democratic Party of Iowa decided to break with tradition and reorganize its primary calendar so that South Carolina Democrats would be the first in the country to cast their votes for the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024. As a result, a date for Iowa's Democratic presidential caucuses has not yet been set.
After speaking with Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, Iowa GOP chairman Jeff Kaufmann said he "feels very secure right now" about the state's position as the first in the country.
He said, "I obviously checked with the RNC, with RNC legal, and with Ronna herself, who certainly set Iowa up to be first in the nation again by appointing me to that commission. "Therefore, I feel very, very secure that no states will attempt to do that at this time," she said.
After months of vigorous Iowa campaigning by Republican candidates, the announcement comes at a crucial time, according to experts interviewed by ABC News.
According to Kaufmann, "the candidates have ultimately decided this." "They practically made Iowa first-in-the-nation a done deal when they started coming to Iowa in droves last year."
When questioned about choosing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as the caucus date, Kauffman responded that January 15 was the earliest and most natural date for Iowa, but that there were "good questions" raised regarding it falling on a federal holiday.
"I think the fact that it's a federal holiday and that as Republicans, we see this as honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King in terms of having a caucus here, I think both of those advantages were a part of our conversation," said the Republican.
The Democratic Party of Iowa decided to break with tradition and reorganize its primary calendar so that South Carolina Democrats would be the first in the country to cast their votes for the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024. As a result, a date for Iowa's Democratic presidential caucuses has not yet been set.
