N.H. May Change Presidential Primary Date

Libertarian Ken Blevens reaches for a numbered ice cream stick from New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner as state Democratic Party chairwoman Kathy Sullivan, left, and Republican Andrew Leach, second from right, wait their turn at the Statehouse in Concord, in this Sept. 8, 2006, file photo. Gardner planned to use the results to rotate the parties' position on the Nov. 7, ballot in response to a court ruling. In 31 years as New Hampshire's secretary of state Gardner has registered hundreds of people who want to run for president and made sure his state's was the Nation's earliest presidential primary; now he's poised to do it again in 2008. (AP Photo/Jim Cole) (Jim Cole - AP)

CONCORD, N.H. -- Bill Gardner is a modest man with an awesome power: the ability to set the date of the nation's earliest presidential primary.

In 31 years as New Hampshire's secretary of state, Gardner has not hesitated to upset the best-laid plans of other states or national political parties by moving up the date _ and he's poised to do it again in 2008.

The Democratic National Committee wants to squeeze Nevada between Iowa's leadoff caucuses on Jan. 14 and the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 22, but state law requires Gardner to hold the primary on a Tuesday a week or more before any "similar election."

Even if Gardner decides the Nevada caucuses don't meet that definition, he can set the primary as early as he wants, thanks to the "or more" clause.

In past election cycles, Gardner has announced the date as late as December, after other states have set their calendars. In 2008, he is widely expected to leapfrog six days ahead of Iowa, which would be Jan. 8, but no one knows for sure.

"His office can do an election in three weeks, as long as they have the ballot prepared. No other state can come close," said Democratic state Rep. Jim Splaine, who sponsored laws giving Gardner his power. "That's the threat that they have to worry about."

Whatever his decision, it will stem from his sense of history and his passionate conviction that the state's tradition of citizen involvement in government gives candidates with little money or national recognition a chance, while requiring those with early visibility to answer voters' questions at unscripted events.

"It's not that we're smarter or we're better," Gardner said in a recent interview. "It's just some of the things that have happened here that make it different and unique and special."

Those things, as he sees it, include keeping government close to the people, beginning with New Hampshire's first constitution. There are 400 state representatives today, one for every 3,089 people. Like the governor and 24 senators, they serve two-year terms.

Nearly four centuries after it started, direct government endures in town and school district meetings, where residents decide budgets and elect members of governing boards and myriad advisory bodies. Of those who haven't held office, nearly everyone in the state has a relative or neighbor who has.

As a result, residents consider it their birthright to meet and question candidates for public office, Gardner said. Some spend countless hours volunteering on presidential primary campaigns. Others open their homes, inviting friends and neighbors _ and, with the help of the national media, the rest of the country _ to meet the contenders.

Such "retail politicking" benefits the entire country, Gardner argues.