YOU MEAN WE CAN KILL DEBATES TOO?:

The Democratic National Committee's rules and bylaws panel has recommended that the New Hampshire primary share the No. 2 slot with Nevada, three days after South Carolina votes. The early Iowa caucuses, which were plagued by vote-counting woes in 2020, would be dropped from the top of the Democratic calendar.

National Republicans, however, have voted to keep their primary scheduling intact, with the Iowa caucuses followed by New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina.

"So now, the national Democrat Party is trying to change our state law," Sununu has said. "If it weren't so serious, it would be an absolute joke."

The DNC panel has given New Hampshire a Jan. 5 deadline to submit a statement of intent to repeal its first-in-the-nation mandate and allow early voting, which it does not currently offer. But with Republicans controlling the governor's office and both chambers of the Legislature, there is no chance of repeal.

If New Hampshire does not comply, the DNC's response is uncertain. But political observers speculated that possible moves could include reducing investment in candidates there or discouraging them from participating in debates.

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