Campaign 2008 Update: Hastert, New Hampshire

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) will not run for re-election in 2008 and may step down before November 2008, according to CNN.

The official announcement is expected Thursday on the floor of the House at 2.30 pm Eastern. Hastert, 65, holds the title of longest-serving Republican Speaker in history.

Primaries: Still no news on the New Hampshire primary date, historically the first in the nation. Democrats want 15 January 2008, but Michigan has selected that date, which was invalidated by the courts last week.

New Hampshire is bound by state law that requires its primaries to be at least seven days before any other primary. So the state, and the 43 presidential contenders on file in N.H., wait on Michigan.

Why New Hampshire?
In rationalizing New Hampshire's position as "first in the nation", Secretary of State Bill Gardner references history and demographics. "We have the shortest distance between voter and elected representative of anywhere in the western world."

[New Hampshire] has a "unique political culture", which dates back to January 1776 when it became the first state to issue a declaration of independence from Britain, six months before Thomas Jefferson did so on behalf of the 13 states.

[...]

With a 400-strong assembly, New Hampshire has the largest number of representatives per capita in the US (one to 3,069). If California had a similar ratio, its assembly would have to seat 12,000. Everyone in New Hampshire knows someone who has been elected.

The Remainder of January
The year begins with a sprint for the candidates. Democrats have joined the Republicans and have set 3 January 2008 for their Iowa caucus.

• January 3: Iowa caucuses
• January 5: Wyoming caucuses
• January 15: Michigan primary
• January 19: Nevada caucuses; South Carolina primary
• January 22: New Hampshire primary
• January 26: South Carolina primary
• January 29: Florida primary

Senators not running in 2008:

• Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO, announced 15 January 2007)
• Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID, resignation announced then rescinded then re-announced on 4 October 2007)
• Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM, announced 3 October 2007)
• Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE, announced 10 September 2007)
• Sen. Kay Hutchison (R-TX, announced 15 October 2007)
• Sen. John Warner (R-VA, announced 31 August 2007)

See Whata do the Iowa polls mean, from Deborah White.