A Later Start, but a Long Season?

For 2016, primaries shifted out of January after the loophole shrank. But though Republicans wanted a later start, they also drove states to bunch together for a shorter season, to avoid replicating the long nomination process that pulled Mitt Romney to the right and depleted his bank account. Right now, many contests will occur in early March. Because of the unusually large number of candidates, many of them may receive a few delegates each. The Republicans’ plan may have backfired; it’s possible no one will win enough delegates to secure the nomination before the convention in July.