CONCORD, NH — We’re still more than a year away from the 2020 Presidential election, but the pre-gaming is well underway in New Hampshire, where candidates have been circulating for months.
The next big date circled in red on the election calendar is Feb. 11, when all eyes are on New Hampshire’s First in the Nation Primary to see which candidate gets a boost from politically-savvy voters here.
In anticipation of that, Secretary of State Bill Gardner is expected this week to announce the official filing period during which candidates will ceremoniously arrive at the State House to make it official and pony up the $1,000 filing fee.
(By the way, if you love your presidential politics, don’t forget the primary-themed exhibit, Pathway to the Presidency, opens Oct .2 at the Millyard Museum.)
Our New Hampshire’s primary is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 11 right behind the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3, 2020, although Gardner will be keeping an eye on when other states set their primaries, to protect New Hampshire’s “first” status.
Below is the current national 2020 primary calendar.
New Hampshire’s state primary is set for September 8, 2020. The filing period will be June 3-12, 2020.
2020 GENERAL ELECTION: November 3, 2020
| Alabama | March 3 primary |
| Alaska | April 4 (D) party-run primary, TBD caucus (R) |
| Arizona | March 17 primary |
| Arkansas | March 3 primary |
| California | March 3 primary |
| Colorado | March 3 primary |
| Connecticut | April 28 primary |
| Delaware | April 28 primary |
| Florida | March 17 primary |
| Georgia | March 3* primary |
| Hawaii | April 4 (D) party-run primary, March 10 (R) caucus |
| Idaho | March 10 primary |
| Illinois | March 17 primary |
| Indiana | May 5 primary |
| Iowa | Feb. 3 caucuses (both parties) |
| Kansas | May 2 (D) party-run primary, March 7 (R) caucus |
| Kentucky | May 19 (D) primary, March 7 (R) caucus |
| Louisiana | March 7* primary |
| Maine | March 8 (D) caucus, March 7 (R) caucus |
| Maryland | April 28 primary |
| Massachusetts | March 3 primary |
| Michigan | March 10 primary |
| Minnesota | March 3 primary |
| Mississippi | March 10 primary |
| Missouri | March 10 primary |
| Montana | June 2 primary |
| Nebraska | May 12 primary |
| Nevada | Feb. 22 (D) caucus, Feb. 25* (R) caucus |
| New Hampshire | Feb. 11 primary |
| New Jersey | June 2 primary |
| New Mexico | June 2 primary |
| New York | April 28 (D) primary, April 21* (R) primary |
| North Carolina | March 3 primary |
| North Dakota | March 3 (D) party-run primary, TBD (R) caucus |
| Ohio | March 10 primary |
| Oklahoma | March 3 primary |
| Oregon | May 19 primary |
| Pennsylvania | April 28 primary |
| Rhode Island | April 28 primary |
| South Carolina | Feb. 29 (D) primary, Feb. 15 (R) primary |
| South Dakota | June 2 primary |
| Tennessee | March 3 primary |
| Texas | March 3 primary |
| Utah | March 3 primary |
| Vermont | March 3 primary |
| Virginia | March 3 primary |
| Washington | March 10 primary |
| West Virginia | May 12 primary |
| Wisconsin | April 7 primary |
| Wyoming | March* caucuses (both parties) |