Utah is hoping to lead the way for a western super-primary, according to the Jackson Hole Start Tribune. From the article, "Several states in the West have a message for Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina: We don't want you selecting our presidential candidates. Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman underscored that message Tuesday when he signed a bill funding a 2008 presidential primary for the first week of February -- the earliest either major political party allows. He's leading a charge he hopes other Mountain West states will follow to create an early super-primary stretching from Montana to the Mexican border that presidential hopefuls can't ignore. At stake would be Republican and Democratic candidates' ability to gain momentum heading into the heart of primary season by winning delegates from as many as eight Western states on a single day. Delegates select presidential nominees at national party conventions.
"States across the country with primary dates late in the campaign season have become increasingly frustrated by what they perceive as their irrelevance in selecting presidential candidates. Voters in the fast-growing Mountain West feel particularly devalued when candidates fly over the region en route to the East and West coasts without stopping to address issues important to the area, such as energy resources, water rights and federal ownership of land."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
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