Dems set to move up caucus

Party wants to match Florida's Jan. 29 presidential primary, slated for a week after New Hampshire's.

Gordon Trowbridge / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Michigan Democrats will move up their presidential caucus to as early as Jan. 29, and perhaps even into December, as a showdown with two other states threatens to move the selection of a nominee to 11 months before Election Day.

Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer said Tuesday that his party would advance its caucuses in response to Monday's decision by Florida Democrats to break national party rules and hold a Jan. 29 primary. And if New Hampshire makes good on its threat to vote before Jan. 22, Michigan will move to a date on or before New Hampshire's -- even in December.

The bottom line: Michigan Democrats will at least match any state that breaks party rules allowing just four states to vote on a nominee before Feb. 5.

Michigan and New Hampshire seem headed to the climax of more than two decades of fighting over the primary calendar. U.S. Sen. Carl Levin and others from Michigan have long sought to dethrone New Hampshire and Iowa, the traditional kick-off states. This year, dozens of states have moved to hold primaries or caucuses in January or early February, the biggest effort to diminish the influence of New Hampshire and Iowa.

"Other states see New Hampshire and Iowa still have disproportionate influence," Brewer said.

Florida, another state jealous of New Hampshire, decided this week to hold its primary Jan. 29, a week after New Hampshire. Brewer said Michigan Democrats will follow through on a pledge to move up along with Florida, which could trigger New Hampshire to decide this fall to move even earlier.

As it stands, Michigan Republicans will hold a primary Feb. 5 and Michigan Democrats will vote in caucuses Feb. 9. A caucus is a party-run gathering in which small groups of Democrats meet to pick a candidate; a primary runs like a general election, with established polling places.

The heads of the state's two major parties are negotiating to see if they can hold a joint primary.

State GOP chairman Saul Anuzis said Tuesday that he still hopes that would happen, though Republicans probably would not agree to a December date. People attending Democratic caucuses, which are mini-elections held at many locations across the state, are required to declare themselves Democrats.

Brewer said state Democrats would wait until New Hampshire picks a date before choosing. But Tuesday, New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner, empowered by law to keep New Hampshire first, would not rule out the possibility that he could set a date, see Michigan match it and then move New Hampshire's primary again.

In the past, he has waited as late as Dec. 20 to announce a primary date, though he said he likely would not wait that long this year.

New Hampshire officials blame Levin and other critics for a front-loaded '08 campaign that could see both parties' nominees chosen by Valentine's Day.

"Obviously, the tradition is important," said Mike Reuschel, a Democratic state lawmaker from Manchester, during New Hampshire Democrats' recent state convention in Concord.

More important, he said, is New Hampshire's up-close-and-personal politics: "We really shake down the candidates. They have to stand in front of us, face to face, and say 'This is where I stand.'  "

You can reach Gordon Trowbridge at (202) 662-8738 or gtrowbridge@detnews.com.