Florida decided to make January 31st the day their primary will be held definitely, reports the Wall Street Journal.
That means Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada are all scrambling to set primary dates before then.
“The arrogance shown by Florida’s elected leadership is disappointing, but not surprising,” said Iowa Republican Party chair Matt Strawn in a statement. “Equally troubling is to see this petulant behavior rewarded with our national convention. The consequences of Florida’s intransigence must be swift and severe, including the refusal by the RNC to credential or seat any member of Florida’s presidential primary date commission at the 2012 RNC convention in Tampa.”
“Regarding the timing of the First in the Nation Iowa Caucuses, Iowa will remain first,” Strawn added. “Consistent with tradition, the final Iowa Caucus date will be announced once New Hampshire sets the date of its First in the Nation Primary.”