Democrats "gave middle America the middle finger" by taking away from Iowa the status of being the first state to nominate the party's candidates for presidential races and giving it to South Carolina instead, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst told "Fox News Sunday."
The Republican senator said, "We have seen a number of pushes in the past to change this. I'm glad that Republicans are staying the course. I feel Democrats have really given middle America the middle finger."
Ernst made the comments after the Democratic National Committee voted on Friday to move South Carolina's primary to Feb. 3, making it the first state on the presidential nominating calendar. Iowa had held the honorary right of holding the first-in-the-nation caucuses since 1972, The Hill reported.
The DNC decision came after President Joe Biden on Thursday urged the committee to change its rule, stressing the desirability to put forward a state with more diversity in the party's first nominating contest.
Republicans, however, voted earlier this year to continue with the GOP's existing early state lineup, which begins with Iowa's caucuses and New Hampshire's primary, according to Politico.
Both Iowa and New Hampshire are more than 90% white.
Ernst told Fox that she was "sorely disappointed" at the decision by the Democrats, adding that Republicans should "absolutely not" follow their lead.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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