„One of the conversations we had after the 2016 election, in addition to the superdelegate reform to return power to the people, is we incentivized states to go from caucuses to primaries,“ Perez added. „There were 14 states four years ago that held caucuses; seven of them are now primary states. Iowa chose to keep their caucus status.”
Besides Iowa, Democratic caucuses are scheduled to be held in three states — Nevada, North Dakota, Wyoming — and three U.S. territories, American Samoa, Northern Marianas, Guam.
Coming out of the debacle of the Iowa caucuses last week, Perez and the DNC have been the subject of much flak — with some Democrats calling for Iowa to lose its first-in-the-nation caucus privileges and for Perez to step down as party chief.
Tapper asked Perez whether Iowa should lose its position as the first state to vote in Democratic presidential primaries, Perez said: “That’s a conversation that will absolutely happen after the election cycle.”
“I’m frustrated. I’m mad as hell — everybody is,” Perez said. “I think what we’re going to do at the end of this cycle is have a further conversation about whether or not state parties should be running elections.”
At least one presidential hopeful shared Perez’s frustration on the Sunday show circuit: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who on CBS’ “Face the Nation” called the Iowa Democratic Party’s struggles a “sad state of affairs.”
“It really saddens me because, you know, I went all over the state of Iowa and there are beautiful people, good people who take their responsibilities seriously,” Sanders said Sunday. “And the fact that the Iowa Democratic Party that has received all kinds of money, could not count those votes in a timely matter is really a sad state of affairs.”
The ongoing difficulties in Iowa prompted Perez to call for a recanvass of the caucus results. Sanders and former Sound Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg remain neck and neck.
Source: politico.com
See more here: news365.stream
