Gardner: December an option for primary
Thu Oct 18, 8:12 PM ET
DURHAM, N.H. - New Hampshire's secretary of state dropped two hints Thursday about the coming presidential primary: He won't make a decision about scheduling it until after Nov. 2, and the first-in-the-nation contest could very well be held in December.
"If we have to go in December, we would have to go in December," said Gardner, who alone has the power to set the date of the primary ?- and has for the last 31 years.
He doesn't necessarily like that idea, but that's the way it may have to be.
"If the last three weeks of the campaign, if one of those three is the week before Christmas, and one of those weeks is the week between Christmas and New Year's, I don't like that," Gardner told an audience at the University of New Hampshire.
Iowa Republicans will caucus Jan. 3, followed by the Wyoming GOP caucuses on Jan. 5 and the Michigan primary on Jan. 15.
New Hampshire law requires that its primary be at least a week before a similar contest in another state, which means Gardner could schedule it for Jan. 8.
Other states have threatened to move their contests earlier on the calendar, leading to speculation about a December primary in the Granite State.
Gardner said that up until a few days ago it appeared that a January primary would fall in between contests in a handful of other states.
"That certainly concerned me," he said during a speech on the history of New Hampshire's primary. "When the word went out that we would be in December, a lot of people took notice. Two states, two days ago, decided not to do what they said they would do, to move up in January. So that's freed it up a little bit."
Gardner's refusal to set a date has infuriated party leaders, candidates and their campaigns, but he doesn't care.
He has refused to make a scheduling decision until all the other dates are cemented, and he said not to expect one before Nov. 2, the filing deadline for presidential candidates to get their names on the state's ballot.
He gave no hint when he would announce, or what the date might be.
"I don't know (the date) myself at this point. I'm not keeping anything from you," he said to laughter.
Pressed on when he would make an announcement, he offered no clue. The earliest Gardner could announce would be after business hours on Nov. 2 or that weekend. He likely wouldn't do it on a Saturday or Sunday, making Nov. 5 the earliest likely date Nov. 5.
Gardner also said he didn't want to immediately precede another state's contest ?- another clue he may be eyeing a December date.
"There needs to be a period of time after New Hampshire ... not only because of the danger of this quick news cycle, that everything is turned around in 24 hours and an event may happen that people describe it one way and three days later you find that's not really what happened, but it was spun in a way to enhance to one side or the other," he said. "There needs to be some time, so that if some person wins here, unexpectedly, the country can get a glimpse."
He acknowledged that a move into December would invite renewed criticism of New Hampshire's leadoff status.
"There's been calls for change since 1980," he said. "There's a reason why the Kentucky Derby is in Kentucky."
