Maryland Bill Protects Iowa's First-in-Nation Status

Annapolis is stepping back from the early primary scramble. A new bipartisan bill in Maryland would push the state's presidential primary from February to April, a move that reinforces the traditional early-voting schedule that keeps Iowa and New Hampshire where they belong: first.

Bipartisan Push to Comply with National Party Rules

Democratic and Republican leaders in Maryland are lining up behind a plan to shift the state's presidential primary from the second Tuesday in February to the first Tuesday in April. The proposal would also move Maryland's state office primaries from mid-September to the last Tuesday in June.

Members of the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee heard testimony from the governor's office and state elections chief Linda Lamone. The bill is a rare display of bipartisan unity in Annapolis, with Gov. Martin O'Malley and legislative leaders from both parties pushing it forward.