ATLANTA – The state’s top elections official wants to make Georgia among the first states in the nation to vote in the 2016 presidential primaries, a move that would thrust voters here squarely into the national spotlight.
Secretary of State Brian Kemp said that his plan would involve a March 1 primary for Georgia, and that he’s reached out to other Southeastern states to form a new Super Tuesday bloc for the same date. The move would give the South a broader say in choosing the parties’ nominees, particularly if there are a number of candidates.
Kemp’s plan comes after the Republican National Committee voted to condense the primary calendar for candidates seeking the 2016 presidential election. The move ensured that Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina will keep their early spots. Now Kemp wants to put Georgia in play, too.
In a nod to what many consider the most powerful college football conference in the country, he called the regional proposal an SEC primary.
It’s not a done deal, however, and could face competition from other regions in the nation. Some experts said it could also hurt the Republican Party, which dominates the South, by giving an edge to a candidate who would not appeal to other parts of the country.