When it comes to President Joe Biden stripping the Granite State of its First-in-the-Nation primary status, Rep. Chris Pappas isn’t ready to forgive or forget.
“What happened with the DNC was a total betrayal by Joe Biden,” Pappas told WMUR’s Adam Sexton on Sunday.
The Democratic National Committee overwhelmingly voted to change the calendar and adopt a schedule suggested by the president. They dropped Iowa, moved New Hampshire to a second-slot tie with Nevada, and put South Carolina first in line.
Asked by Sexton why the New Hampshire delegation appeared to be “blindsided” by the move, Pappas blamed Biden.
“We were not anticipating the president to come forward with a plan to reorder the primary calendar,” Pappas said adding, “It is a big disappointment that he pushed the DNC to make these changes.”
In fact, media outlets like NHJournal had been reporting for months that New Hampshire was all but certain to lose its FITN standing thanks to the national Democratic Party.
Pappas also said that Granite State Democrats “were not done fighting,” a fight that includes urging Democrats to challenge Biden in the state’s unsanctioned primary.
“We are going to continue to invite candidates to come to New Hampshire,” Pappas said. “This process is bigger than any one president. It is disappointing to see Joe Biden making this move when he knows full well that New Hampshire adds value, makes a difference, and is part of a diverse set of early states we should be maintaining for the DNC.”
At least one Democrat is taking up the state party’s offer. Author and motivational speaker Marianne Williamson, who ran in 2020, has announced she is running and that she’s heading to New Hampshire after her formal announcement on Saturday.
According to The Washington Post, Williamson is going to file to appear on the ballot in New Hampshire “even if it holds its primary earlier than Democratic rules allow and Biden’s name does not appear on the ballot.”
And on Friday, the day before Williamson makes her candidacy official, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be speaking at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, a location where many presidential candidates have launched their campaigns.
Other potential candidates rumored to be considering a run include twice failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacy Abrams and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)
Meanwhile, Democrats are split on who they want to see at the top of the ticket next year. Just 50 percent in a new Marist poll said the party would be better off with Biden as the nominee while 45 percent say they would prefer someone else.
