As the Democratic Party is wrapping up its primary cycle with former Vice President Joe Biden as their nominee, it’s easy for the average American to get lost in the whirlwind of over-complicated political jargon that’s thrown around by media outlets. Yet, at a time when the political climate has become increasingly divisive, it is important that Americans are aware of how their country’s political processes work so that they are ready to cast an informed vote in November.
To grasp how the presidential election works, it is necessary to first understand the process by which a candidate is chosen to represent his or her party. This is the function of primaries. A primary is a preliminary election where voters of each party nominate candidates for office. Primaries play a huge role in helping unite a party behind one candidate. However, in recent years the primary process has come under fire with critics taking aim at the primary’s oversized influence in picking presidential candidates. One state in particular, New Hampshire, has been under scrutiny for its seemingly disproportionate influence on America’s presidential elections. To understand this criticism, New Hampshire’s history as the first primary state and the role that it plays in the fate of our nation’s elections must be examined.
New Hampshire’s status as the first primary state dates back to 1948 when Richard F. Upton, speaker of the state’s House of Representatives at the time, passed a law allowing citizens to vote directly for presidential candidates. This new law immediately received national attention, as New Hampshire was the first state to implement such a policy. In the state’s 1952 primary, Republican candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower won in an overwhelming victory. Eisenhower later went on to win the national election in a landslide victory, setting a precedent regarding the importance of New Hampshire’s primary.
Fast forward to the present day, and the importance of New Hampshire’s primary is clear to see. Since 1976, the state’s primary has predicted five of the ten eventual Democratic presidential nominees. Yet as of late, more people have grown critical of New Hampshire’s role in America’s elections. For one, New Hampshire’s population is over 93 percent White. In addition, the Black and Hispanic communities in the state only account for 4 percent and 2 percent of the population, respectively.
The racial composition of New Hampshire is a far cry from the demographic reality of the United States. As of 2019, people identifying as “White” make up 60.4 percent of the country’s population. The Hispanic and Black demographic followed behind, with 18.3 percent and 13.4 percent, respectively. Given this data, is New Hampshire truly reflective of the nation’s demographics?
The reality is that New Hampshire bears little resemblance to this increasingly diverse country. Given the influence that the state’s primary has on the national election, it might be time to reevaluate New Hampshire’s role in the United States electoral process.
Of course, this is not an attack on the citizens of New Hampshire. Some may argue that New Hampshire is a great state to hold the country’s first primary. After all, it is one of the most educated states in America, with 36 percent of adults holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to the national average of 31 percent. In addition, New Hampshire has a relatively small number of voters, making it easy for grass-roots campaigns to gain traction and momentum. Combined with the state’s small, inexpensive media market, New Hampshire provides a healthy environment for candidates to connect personally with voters.
With that being said, New Hampshire’s lack of diversity is startling and shouldn’t be glossed over. As the United States becomes increasingly more diverse, it is hard to picture a future where New Hampshire resembles the countries’ demographics. As the United States finds itself in the midst of a new decade, Americans must embrace the unique opportunities and challenges that come with living in a diverse nation. The face of America is changing — and society must change with it.