KEENE, NH – It’s looking like New Hampshire will maintain its status as the first in the nation primary state, a status that was threatened by a proposal to shake up the calendar.

In an effort to increase diversity of early primaries, President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee planned to kick off primary season in South Carolina on February 3rd, 2024, followed by Nevada on February 6th, and Michigan on February 27th.

On Friday Iowa Democrat’s announced a plan that backed off the fight with the DNC over the states early voting status, and announced they’d be keeping their mail-in ballot option open for several weeks and announce the results of their caucus on March 5th, also known as Super Tuesday.

The move by democrats in Iowa allows New Hampshire to move forward and schedule its primary without invoking a state law that says the primary in the state must be held before any similar contests in other states.

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu celebrated the news in a statement late Friday morning.

“New Hampshire didn’t back down and we prevailed. Working hand-in-hand with Secretary of State Scanlon, bringing this to the forefront of the conversation, we made clear that New Hampshire would hold the first Primary, ” Sununu said. “Iowa Democrats’ acknowledgement that they will not compete with the New Hampshire Primary is a win for the democratic process, our citizens, and the candidates who rely on New Hampshire to give everyone a level playing field.”

Biden previously pledged to only participate in primaries sanctioned by the DNC, so his name may not appear on the ballot in New Hampshire.

No date has been set for the New Hampshire Primary at this point, although all signs point to it being sometime toward the end of January. Voters are also reminded that this Friday, October 6th, is the last day to change party affiliation ahead of the primaries.