Veteran Political Operative To New Hampshire Democrats: Don't Kowtow To DNC 'Party Bosses' On FITN Primary

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

Forget “Suck it up, Buttercup.”

Terry Shumaker says it’s time for his fellow New Hampshire Democrats to stand up to the DNC, and he expects presidential candidates who want to win in 2028 to do the same.

“I’m not interested in supporting anybody for president who’s afraid of some party bosses down in Washington,” Shumaker told the NHJournal podcast this week.

Calling himself a “veteran of 50 years of New Hampshire primaries,” Shumaker is a longtime political operative who co-chaired Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 New Hampshire primary campaign. He later served as Clinton’s ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago. Shumaker was also a member of the Democratic National Committee and served on its presidential calendar commission.

Shumaker told NHJournal he’s confident New Hampshire will hold the first presidential primary, thanks to Secretary of State Dave Scanlan.

“He’s taken an oath to uphold the law of New Hampshire, and he will do that,” Shumaker said.

But, like many political observers, Shumaker believes the real test facing the primary is whether major presidential candidates will participate in the First in the Nation contest. He urged potential candidates to compete in New Hampshire and force the DNC to decide whether it is willing to follow through on its threats.

“I think they should run here,” Shumaker said. “If there’s going to be a rule that says you can’t campaign in New Hampshire, I’d like to see it in writing. They’re going to have to put it in writing, and I think it’s going to rub a lot of people the wrong way.”

Former Secretary of State Bill Gardner made a similar point on the Pulse of New Hampshire radio show Wednesday, telling host Jack Heath the FITN primary will survive “as long as the people of this state continue to have the will for it.”

“It’s going to happen,” Gardner said. “It’s just a matter of whether — the question of the candidates coming. Candidates will come, but we have indications, there’s a feeling that we’re not pushing as hard for it.”

Gardner added that’s why it’s so important for members of the state’s federal delegation to speak out on the state’s behalf.

State Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley claims he’s been fielding calls from potential 2028 candidates, but he didn’t disclose any names, and no major candidates are currently scheduled to campaign in the Granite State.

While the DNC is considering penalties designed to discourage candidates from participating in an unsanctioned New Hampshire primary, the specific sanctions have not yet been finalized.

Shumaker, an attorney, questioned both their effectiveness and legitimacy.

“They’re sort of vaguely threatening some sanctions to candidates,” Shumaker said. “Frankly, I have questions about whether sanctioning somebody who is exercising their constitutional right to run for president is even constitutional. But if it is, it’s certainly un-American.”

He also questioned how Democratic voters would react to candidates who allow national party officials to dictate where they campaign.

“I’m not sure how voters are going to react to presidential candidates who kowtow to party bosses in Washington,” Shumaker said.

Shumaker pointed to prospective candidates such as Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy combat pilot and astronaut, as an example of the difficulty the DNC may face in enforcing its rules.

“I find it hard to believe that they think they’re going to be able to punish a former fighter pilot, former United States astronaut and sitting United States senator named Mark Kelly if he decides to run for president,” Shumaker said.

The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted last week to put South Carolina at the front of its proposed 2028 presidential primary calendar, followed by Nevada and then New Hampshire. South Carolina received 26 votes, Nevada 19 and New Hampshire just four — two from Granite State members.

Under the DNC’s proposed calendar, South Carolina would vote Jan. 22, Nevada on Feb. 1 and New Hampshire on Feb. 8. The full DNC still must approve the plan.

Despite the DNC setback and questions about whether candidates will participate in an unsanctioned contest, Shumaker remains confident New Hampshire will hold the nation’s first presidential primary.

“The DNC didn’t give us the New Hampshire primary,” Shumaker said. “We created it, and you’re not taking it away.”

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.