State Senate votes to hold Michigan's 2024 presidential primary earlier

Lansing — The Republican-controlled Michigan Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to move the 2024 presidential primary a month earlier, a development that could bolster Democrats' bid to shift the state toward the front of the national schedule.

The Senate vote was 34-1 on the proposal, which would change Michigan's presidential primary from the second Tuesday in March to the second Tuesday in February.

The vote came the same week the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee is scheduled to meet in Washington, D.C., to consider how significantly to overhaul the order for states to hold their primaries and caucuses in the next presidential election.

Traditionally, Iowa and New Hampshire have gone first, providing those states with a rush of national media attention and candidate visits. Democratic leaders from Michigan and other states gave presentations to the rules panel in June, arguing their states were more reflective of the country as a whole.

But some Democrats have voiced concerns that the Republican leaders of the Michigan Legislature wouldn't vote to change the state law that sets the primary date. Those concerns were already somewhat diminished by the fact Democrats won control of the House and Senate in the Nov. 8 election. Democrats take power from Republicans in January.

After the election, Lavora Barnes, chairwoman of the Michigan Democratic Party, said she felt "very good" about Michigan's chances of moving up in the presidential primary calendar.

"The outcome on Tuesday had to wake them up to the fact that we've got something here that would be good for a presidential candidate to be a part of," Barnes told The Detroit News.

More:Why Michigan Democrats are optimistic about moving presidential primary

It's unclear how the Republican National Committee would respond to an attempt by Michigan to change its presidential primary date. The Republican National Committee's current leader is Ronna McDaniel, who's from Michigan.

Derek Muller, a professor at the University of Iowa College of Law, tweeted Tuesday that the Michigan bill would violate Republican National Committee rules that prohibit primaries before March 1 for states other than Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

The Michigan House still has to approve the presidential primary bill before it goes to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk.

The only no vote in the Senate came from Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake. The proposal was sponsored by Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City.

cmauger@detroitnews.com