A Nevada GOP decision may throw a wrench into primary plans in Iowa and New Hampshire. Parties' 2012 calendar plans at risk

Last week's decision by Nevada Republicans to set a Feb. 18 date for their 2012 presidential caucuses may set off a domino effect that would push the primary season into January.

If Nevada sticks with that date, the 2012 New Hampshire primary, which under state law must be held at least a week before the next contest on the calendar, would likely be set for Feb. 7, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported Thursday.


That's out of line with the calendar the national Democratic and Republican parties are trying to impose, which would have the Granite State holding a Valentine's Day primary instead.

And because Iowa generally goes eight days before New Hampshire, a Feb. 7 New Hampshire primary could force Iowa to hold its caucuses on Jan. 30.

However, in 2008 Iowa was just five days before New Hampshire, a sign that there's some wiggle room in the rules. New Hampshire's law requires the state to "protect the tradition" of its early primary.

Tom Rath, a New Hampshire Republican who worked on the Republican National Committee's initiative on the issue, told the Union Leader he thought leaving a week between New Hampshire and Nevada was unnecessary. In the modern, accelerated news cycle, a few days can be plenty of time for candidates and the national media to move from state to state, he said.

The Nevada Republican Party last week voted to set Feb. 18 as its caucus date, hoping to cement the state's newly anointed status in the prestigious ranks of pre-Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses.

That's in keeping with a Democratic National Committee schedule that would set Iowa's caucuses on Feb. 6, the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 14, Nevada's caucuses on Feb. 18 and South Carolina's primary on Feb. 28.

The national parties are trying to set a calendar that would begin the primary season in February and limit the early states to Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

But numerous states will have to move their primary dates to fall in line with that goal, and many will require legislative action.

Nevada’s date may not be set in stone. In 2007, the state GOP twice moved its caucus date for 2008.