Biden posits Democratic presidential primary calendar shake-up

President Joe Biden has proposed a radical shake-up of the Democratic presidential primaries calendar to give greater sway to African American voters in choosing the party's nominee.

The 80-year-old Biden, who has said he plans another White House run in 2024, suggested the changes to the nominating calendar in a letter on Thursday to the Democratic National Committee's rules and bylaws committee.

His proposal calls for the first Democratic primary of 2024 to be held in South Carolina, which has a large Black population, bumping overwhelmingly white Iowa and tiny New Hampshire from their traditional kickoff slots.

Biden's victory in the Democratic presidential primary in South Carolina in 2020 helped revive his flagging candidacy and propelled him to the nomination and eventually the White House.

In his letter, Biden said "you cannot be the Democratic nominee and win a general election unless you have overwhelming support from voters of colour -- and that includes Black, Brown and Asian American & Pacific Islander voters.

"For decades, Black voters, in particular, have been the backbone of the Democratic Party but have been pushed to the back of the early primary process," he said.

"It is time to stop taking these voters for granted, and time to give them a louder and earlier vote in the process."

Biden's proposed changes received a chilly reception from Democratic leadership in Iowa and New Hampshire.

"Small rural states like Iowa must have a voice in our presidential nominating process," Iowa Democratic Party chair Ross Wilburn said.

"Democrats cannot forget about entire groups of voters in the heart of the midwest without doing significant damage to the party for a generation."

In New Hampshire, Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley insisted the northeastern state "will be holding our primary first."

"We have survived past attempts over the decades and we will survive this," Buckley said. "Our first-in-the-nation primary has been an integral part of our state's history for over 100 years, and is enshrined in state law."

Under Biden's proposal, the first primary would be held in South Carolina on February 6, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire on February 13, Georgia on February 20 and Michigan on February 27.

The changes will need the support of the DNC's rules and bylaws committee before being voted on by the full DNC early next year.

A revamped calendar could help Biden if he indeed decides to run again in 2024 and is challenged for the Democratic nomination.

Giving greater early primary influence to African-American voters could also provide a potential boost to Vice President Kamala Harris, who is Black, if Biden steps aside and she runs for the White House.