Georgia election chief denies Democrats early 2024 primary

By BILL BARROW
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s Republican secretary of state has set the battleground state’s 2024 presidential primary for March 12. That rebuffs Democrats, including President Joe Biden, who wanted Georgia to be an early nominating state. The Democratic National Committee already tapped South Carolina for the party’s opening slot and proposed adding Georgia and Michigan to the first month of voting. Those three states would elevate racially diverse electorates rather than maintain top billing for Iowa and New Hampshire, both overwhelmingly white states. Raffensperger noted that Republicans had already set their calendar and not included Georgia in the early window.