New York eyes April 2 for presidential primary date

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York is considering an April 2 date for its 2024 presidential primary, two individuals with knowledge of the current plans said.

That date might let the state participate in a potential regional primary day with Connecticut and Pennsylvania, which would lead to an awarding of a bonus in delegates at the Democratic National Convention.

While the date is not yet formal, it will be made official soon. Primary scheduling is formally set via a bill passed by the state Legislature before members adjourn for the summer in the year before a presidential election, and this year’s adjournment is scheduled for June 8.

That date entered into law has usually come via recommendation from the state parties based on considerations of logistics and national party rules.

The April 19 date used in 2016 was picked because other potential dates overlapped with Passover or school board elections. April 28 was initially picked for 2020 to increase the number of delegates, though the primary was later canceled amidst the pandemic before a lawsuit led to it being rescheduled for June 23.

This year’s Democratic rules allow for a 15 percent bonus in delegates when states hold their votes on the same day as two neighboring states. Lawmakers in Connecticut have advanced a bill setting April 2 as the date in their state.

Pennsylvania’s is currently set for April 23, but officials there plan to move it to an earlier due to Passover. Lawmakers are considering both March 19 and April 2, but Pennsylvania Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa said there’s a growing “strong desire” for the latter date.

“April 2 gives us the opportunity to maintain our 13 week election cycle and begin circulating petitions on Jan. 2 rather than Dec. 21,” thus avoiding conflicts with the holidays, Costa said in an interview with POLITICO. “We’re trying to focus on April 2, but it’s not locked in yet.“

One major difference between the scheduling of New York’s primary for 2024 and nearly every other such vote in state history is that Democrats currently control both chambers of the state Legislature. And that means that a date that typically originates after talks between the two parties will now be picked solely by Democrats.

State Republican Chair Ed Cox recollected that the 2016 date was picked after talks between him and then-Democratic Chair David Paterson about “the best date for exciting primaries.”

“It proved to be a very exciting campaign here on both sides, and I think it really resulted in who the final [nominees] were,” Cox said. “Now that we don’t have control of either house, it’s more in the Democratic hands to pick.”