SC Keeps First In The South Primary Status
The Rules and ByLaws Committee of the Democratic National Committee today took the first step toward setting the 2012 presidential nominating calendar, and as part of their work protected South Carolina's "first in the South" Democratic Primary.
"For Democrats in South Carolina, this is recognition of the positive role we played in the nominating process in 2008. We were determined to persuade the committee that we should be allowed to retain our position as the first primary in the South and we have done that," said South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler, a member of the Rules and Bylaws Committee.
The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee voted to allow states to hold primaries and caucuses no earlier than the first Tuesday in March, with only Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada allowed to hold their primaries and caucuses in February.
The full DNC will vote on the 2012 rules in August. The Rules and Bylaws committee will meet again before then but is not expected to revisit the issue of early primaries.
