California's governor signed Senator Calderon's SB 113 this afternoon moving the 2008 California Presidential primary to February 5th--a mere two weeks after the tentatively scheduled New Hampshire primary. The AP reports that the governor said, “Now California is important again in presidential nominating politics ... and we will get the respect that California deserves.” One can only imagine the hand wringing this will cause within the presidential campaigns as they devise a strategy for campaigning in a state that promises either ultimate glory or certain peril. Some of the second-tier candidates will inevitably opt out of the California sweepstakes because of the high cost of running a viable campaign there. However, those who can win or place near the top in America's largest and most diverse state will instant front runners, if not presumptive nominees.
In a previous Thicket entry on this subject, I listed the numerous other states with bills pending to move closer to the beginning of the primary calendar. At least one of those states is already taking the California move into consideration and is not eager to vie with the largest state in the Union for attention from the candidates. However, other states may follow the lead of California and try to steal some of the spotlight by moving to the 5th as well. Keep an eye on other big states such as New York and Florida.
On the other hand, several Washington State legislators are taking the opposite approach. A Washington House Committee held public hearings today on legislation to CANCEL their 2008 Presidential Primary. Washington's primary, currently scheduled for late May 2008, is a "preference primary" sometimes called a "beauty contest," meaning that it is not binding in terms of actually choosing party delegates to the party nominating conventions. The bill analysis for HB 2379 says that canceling the primary would save the state $9.7 million. And by late May of 2008, the contest to determine the major party candidates for the November general election may be long since decided.
[Photo courtesy of Flickr by The Rolfer]
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