North Carolina senators have approved a plan that moves the state's presidential primary to March 15. For decades, North Carolina voters have chosen presidential candidates in May, usually after they already know the nominee.
"In New Hampshire, a friend of mine up there said they expect to talk to the next president, and I think we need to have that type of impact," Sen. Andrew Brock(R-District 34) said. "North Carolina is too important. I mean you look at what we do for the nation, especially our military, and we need to have that kind of input."
Local counties will pay for the primary, similar to a run-off election. Primary races for local, state and federal offices will remain on the first Tuesday in May.
A state House proposal would have placed North Carolina's primary on March 1, also known as Super Tuesday for the large number of states that hold primary elections. This plan could receive approval from the full Senate as early as Tuesday. It would then return to the House for consideration.