The Des Moines Register reports that the Democratic National Committee will consider a proposal shaking up the presidential-primary process that could end up stripping Iowa of its first-in-the-nation status.
There are many reasons why the change might happen. Iowa is an overwhelmingly white and rural state, and many in the party want more racially diverse states to vote first. The 2020 Iowa caucuses were a disaster — the results weren’t known for days. But one essential reason why Democrats are even contemplating this change is that they no longer see Iowa as a key battleground state.
The state went for Al Gore by less than one percentage point in 2000 and went for George W. Bush by less than one point in 2004 before swinging decisively in favor of Barack Obama, who carried Iowa by nearly 10 points in 2008 and 6 points in 2012.
In 2016, of course, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in Iowa by 10 points, and in 2020 he defeated Joe Biden there by 8 points.
Stripping Iowa of Iowa of its first-in-the-nation status would be a sure sign that Democrats don’t expect the state to swing back to them anytime soon.