ES MOINES - Unable to persuade New Hampshire to change its primary date, Iowa's Republican and Democratic leaders announced plans yesterday to move their state's leadoff caucuses to Jan. 24, a week earlier than planned.
Republicans and Democrats use different methods to set caucus dates but work together to have them on the same day. Iowa Democrats must win approval from the national party's rules committee.
''We expect that to happen,'' Democratic Secretary of State Chet Culver said at a separate news conference. ''I don't want to have to go through this again.''
Iowa Republicans are free to set their date without national party approval.
New Hampshire officials welcomed the news.
''Candidates will now have a better opportunity to get their message out in both states,'' said Jayne Marcucci, executive director of the New Hampshire Republican Party.
The Iowa caucuses had been set for Jan. 31, but New Hampshire officials unexpectedly scheduled their primary on Feb. 1. They refused to push it back to Feb. 8 despite the entreaties of Iowa officials.
Iowa had set its caucuses for Feb. 21 but that date was moved up as other states set early primary and caucus dates in an enormously front-loaded political calendar.
Roughly 75 percent of the delegates will be picked by March 7, and both parties are almost certain to have a nominee within six weeks of Iowa's opening test.
