Leading Democrats in New Hampshire have initiated a write-in campaign for President Joe Biden, after he declined to have his name placed on the primary ballot.
This move aims to shield Biden from a potential setback in the state, traditionally considered the first primary state, following Rep. Dean Phillips‘ (D-Minnesota) announcement last week that he will contest Biden for the nomination.
Experienced Democrats such as Jim Demers and Kathy Sullivan, previously the chair of the Democratic Party in the state, are leading the movement for this write-in campaign.
They are receiving support from prominent New Hampshire Democrats, including all state senators affiliated with the Democratic Party, both gubernatorial Democratic candidates, and former politicians such as Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter.
The “Granite State Write-In” was officially registered as a political group with the Federal Election Commission.
Last week, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Biden’s campaign manager, stated that although the president desires to be a part of the primaries, he is obliged, as a Democratic candidate, to abide by the Democratic National Committee’s instructions that urge candidates not to include their names on the ballot.
This year, the DNC is reorganizing the order of its presidential nomination schedule, with South Carolina as the first, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire.
The write-in campaign’s website says, “While misguided DNC rules will leave Joe Biden off the primary ballot here in 2024, New Hampshire Democrats and Democrat-leaning Independents overwhelmingly support Joe Biden and plan to write him in.”
