SC GOP Condemns Florida for Jan. 31 Primary Date

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Chad Connelly is condemning Florida GOP officials for seeking to break Republican rules and hold an early primary. Florida is poised to hold its presidential primary Jan. 31. That would likely mean an earlier start to the nominating contests than the national Republican Party wants. Connelly said Thursday he and his counterparts in the other traditional early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada will not allow what he called “rogue states” to dictate the calendar. He says primaries just after the New Year hurt voters and candidates by short-circuiting the process. A date earlier than March 6 for all but the four traditional states would violate Republican Party rules. A Republican National Committee vote last year allowed those four to vote in February.