In ‘Monster Tuesday’ Game of Leapfrog, Minnesota Stuck Behind the Pack

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There’s a national trend that some say Minnesota is conspicuously absent.

Dozens of states have recently moved up their presidential primaries to February, and some even to January, challenging the so-called “first four”: New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina, who lead the nation in the process of choosing presidential candidates. 

The DFL-controlled state legislature failed to pass legislation that would have moved presidential primaries, known here as caucuses, from March to Feb. 5. More than 10 states, including California and New York, have moved their primaries to that day, now called “monster Tuesday.”

Florida also made headlines when it moved its primaries to Jan. 29. New Hampshire and South Carolina, who adamantly oppose anyone stealing the spotlight from them, threatened to hold their primaries as early as November or December this year if states don’t quell their race to early primaries.

It’s part of a national leapfrogging trend meant to have a say in nominating presidential candidates. The so-called “first four” have been monopolizing that role for years. The drama and the incentives for early primaries were becoming too great of a temptation to ignore for many states. Presidential candidates shuttle around the “first four,” spending millions of dollars in campaign money. The hype of the media beset those states for almost two years.

“There would be no drama by March,” said state Rep. Steve Simon, DFL-St. Louis Park, who introduced the legislation that didn’t pass this session.

More InsideIn February, leaders of the main political parties in Minnesota held a rare press conference, touting Simon’s legislation and emphasizing that early primaries would raise the profile of the state overnight.

But Simon blames Republicans for effectively filibustering his legislation, which easily passed committees in the House and in the Senate. It was up for vote in the last day of the session.

Republicans “talked, talked and talked until they ran out of the clock,” he said.

The Republican Party was not immediately available for comment.

So for ’08 primaries, the state is stuck on a March date, which is increasingly becoming irrelevant.

State Sen. Dan Larson, DFL-Bloomington, who also introduced a similar bill this session, was unhappy with how his bill was killed.

“Moving the primary is good for everyone,” he said. “But I understand that election reform is difficult.”

In addition to presidential caucuses, his bill would also have moved local primaries from September to June. Minnesota is among only five states that hold a primary election in or after September.

Critics of early primaries say it would lengthen the election period, prompt a slew of TV ads early on and discourage citizens from voting.

Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, introduced a counter-legislation that would have postponed the primary election to October. His bill didn’t get enough traction in the legislature.

But he said he supports the provisions in Simon and Larson’s bills to move presidential caucuses to February.

“It’s wise to be part of the states that choose the next president,” he said. “By March, we would know who the nominees for president are.”

Rep. Simon and Sen. Larson pledged to reintroduce the bill next year.