Nevada Democrats want western state to be first primary stop

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nevada’s Democratic congressional members on Friday urged the Democratic National Committee to make the Western swing state the first stop of primary season and point to a strong midterm showing as evidence for why it should be in the top slot.

It’s the latest in a growing debate over who should gain the priceless political clout of being first in the nation as Iowa’s half-century run stands on shaky ground. For months, that state's delegates have fended off criticism that it does not have a diverse enough electorate and that it is not predictive of which candidate will win the primary.

The Nevada congressional members said the outcome of the midterm election — including Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s re-election after many deemed her the most vulnerable incumbent — “cemented why we should hold the first presidential primary.”

“Nevada is a working class, pro-labor state with one of the most diverse populations in the country and a commitment to voting rights that is a model for the nation,” they said.

Four of Nevada’s five Democratic congressional members — Cortez Masto and Reps. Steven Horsford, Dina Titus and Susie Lee — all won re-election in what were considered toss-up races. Sen. Jacky Rosen is up for re-election in 2024. Rep. Mark Amodei is the state's only Republican congressional member and easily won re-election for his seventh term last week.

Nevada is mainly competing alongside New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina as the party opened up its process for the first spot earlier this year. The party’s rules committee is set to meet at the beginning of December to decide the new calendar.

New Hampshire has hinged its argument on grassroots politics and the potential for Democrats to lose future elections if it ceases to be in one of the top...