New Hampshire primary

The New Hampshire primary to the U.S. presidential election is the first U.S. presidential primary in the United States. For more than 50 years it has been highly influential in both predictions and decisions about who will be the presidential nominee of the two major U.S. political parties.

Significance

Since 1977, New Hampshire law has stated that its primary is to be the first in the nation. As a result, the state has had to move its primary, originally in March, earlier in the year to remain the first. For example, the election was held on February 20 in 1996, then February 1 in 2000, and January 27 in 2004 to compete with earlier and earlier primaries in other states.

Related Topics:
1977 - New Hampshire - February 20 - 1996 - February 1 - 2000 - January 27 - 2004

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Before the less-binding Iowa caucus first received national attention in the 1970s, the New Hampshire primary was the first binding indication of which presidential candidate would receive his political party's nomination. In defense of their primary, voters of New Hampshire have tended to downplay the importance of the Iowa caucus. "The people of Iowa pick corn, the people of New Hampshire pick presidents," said then-Gov. John H. Sununu in 1988.

Related Topics:
Iowa caucus - 1970s - John H. Sununu - 1988

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Since then, the primary has been considered an early measurement of the national attitude toward the candidates for nomination. Unlike a caucus, the primary measures the number of votes each candidate received directly, rather than through precinct delegates. The fact that the primary is based on the popular vote means that it gives less well known candidates a chance to pull ahead. Unlike most other states, New Hampshire permits independents, not just party members, to vote in a party's primary.

Related Topics:
Caucus - Primary - Popular vote

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

New Hampshire's status as the first-in-the-nation is somewhat controversial because some consider it not to be representative of the nation as a whole. It is predominantly white (96% versus 75% nationally in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau), and largely rural and agricultural. Politically however, the state does offer a wide sampling of different types of voters. Although it is a New England state, it is not as liberal as some of its neighbors, (e.g. Massachusetts). For example, according to one exit poll, of those who participated in the 2004 Democratic Primary, 4 in 10 voters were independents, and just over 50% said they considered themselves "liberal." Additionally, as of 2002, 25.6% of New Hampshire residents are registered Democrats and 36.7% are Republicans, with 37.7% of New Hampshire voters registered as "undeclared" independents. This plurality of independents is a major reason why New Hampshire is considered a swing state in general U.S. presidential elections.

Related Topics:
New Hampshire - 2000 - New England - Liberal - Massachusetts - Democrats - Republicans - Independent - Swing state

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Recently, media expectations for the New Hampshire primary have come to be almost as important as the results themselves; meeting or beating expectations can provide a candidate with national attention, often leading to an infusion of donations to a campaign that has spent most of its reserves. For example, in 1992, Bill Clinton, although he did not win, did surprisingly well, with his team dubbing him the "Comeback Kid"; the extra media attention helped drive him to victory in later primaries.

Related Topics:
Media - Bill Clinton

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~