Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson wants to move the state’s next presidential primary to an earlier date. Oregon currently holds its presidential primary in mid-May.
That places it fairly late in the primary election cycle. By the time Oregon voters selected Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican Donald Trump in 2016, most Americans had already had a crack at filling out their primary ballot.
In a letter to Oregon Governor Kate Brown and legislative leaders, Richardson proposed to move the state’s primary earlier in the year. He said the change would elevate Oregon’s priorities in the national discussion. ?
The change would require legislative approval. Richardson said under his proposal, candidates for non-presidential offices would still be nominated in May.