Splaine: The 2028 presidential candidates are coming

We don’t see them yet, but they’re there. They’re behind the scenes right now, kind of quiet. They’ll let us know they’re here when they want us to know they’re here. Some leaks and rumors will spill out when they want those leaks and rumors to spill out.  
You can bet that phones are buzzing, beeping, ringing, singing, vibrating, or whatever they usually do. Real soon, chosen voters and friends will receive barrages of holiday cards including “Christmas-is-not-dead” greetings.  Oh, and lots of emails, texts, and social media hellos will travel in the air just to stay in touch.  
While it’s about 206 weeks to the next presidential election, that time can fly as we see action occurring at the White House and in Congress during coming months.  And focus outside of Washington, D.C. may be on who’s next and what’s next, not just on what’s happening there next. 
Potential 2028 presidential candidates are looking for their new job, and they’re compiling the names of everyone they’ve ever met. They’ll be hoping for any invitation to get to Iowa and New Hampshire, including Portsmouth. Voters hereabouts can expect a guest for most any wintertime ski party or springtime yard sale.   
Despite the power and influence of the Democratic National Committee to discourage candidates from running here, it failed to end the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation presidential primary in 2024.   
Our state’s lead-off status was assured by the Republican National Committee recognizing it. The effort by the DNC to eliminate our position wasn’t successful. President Joe Biden won the primary. Vice President Kamala Harris did her best in the general election, and what she and Gov. Tim Walz did in 100 days was remarkable. It was a hard-fought battle, with just two percentage points separating the results.  Thinking of it another way, that means a margin of just two voters out of every 100 made the decision. Or 20 voters out of every 1,000. That’s close.  
If the DNC had not tried to change the traditional lineup of Iowa first with New Hampshire next, the eventual nominee might have had two, three hundred days to solidify his or her efforts and more successfully explain policies and assemble coalitions and support.  Shortening that timeline meant being disadvantaged by a short campaign.    
The national inside-the-beltway Washington, D.C. powers-who-are on both the Democratic and Republican parties should agree that in 2028 we should have the traditional presidential primary that has worked well.  We should begin with Iowa’s first caucus, then New Hampshire’s first primary, followed by other states. That includes everyone.  With the traditional primary process, the voters of small states are included. Without it, voters of smaller states are often ignored, as happens when the Electoral College matters so much and we seldom see candidates as November nears.  
Iowa and New Hampshire are small yet our voices matter too.  We’ve proven our value through the years. 
I have learned about the value of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary status ever since I sponsored the law 49 years ago that created it. States have the right to set our own presidential primary dates, and the national parties should respect that.   
Because of that law, our state will hold the first presidential primary in January 2028.  The DNC should join the RNC and formally recognize it.  They should recognize Iowa’s caucus, too.  Let Iowa be Iowa.  Let New Hampshire be New Hampshire.  Encourage Democratic Party candidates to run where they wish.  We should protect our state’s rights in our democracy to hold our own elections, before it’s too late.   
For the political types among us of all kinds, this can be an exciting time since both major parties have strong benches, with potential candidates on both sides waiting to step forward.  And during what may be a difficult four years for our nation, motivating us to look forward will be a good thing. 
Go to the secretary of state website at nh.gov to visit “The Story of the 1975 Law Requiring the New Hampshire Presidential Primary to be First in the Nation.” 
Variously since 1969, Jim Splaine has been New Hampshire state senator for six years and state representative for 24 years.  Locally he has been Portsmouth assistant mayor for 12 years, city councilor for 18 years, and served on the Police Commission and School Board.  He can be reached at [email protected].