IOWA - Another state is looking to replace Iowa to have the nation's first presidential primary contest.
The Nevada state Senate passed a bill on Monday calling for it to hold the first primary in the 2024 election.
The Iowa Democratic caucus was heavily criticized in 2020 after lengthy delays in reporting results.
Democrats in Nevada also say the state has a more diverse population than heavily white Iowa and would better represent the country.
The bill passed by the Nevada state Senate had been approved by the state House five days earlier and now heads to Nevada's Democratic governor.
It calls for Nevada to drop its caucus in favor of a primary election and move up the calendar ahead of Iowa and New Hampshire. Nevada currently is slotted as the nation's third presidential primary contest.
The effort to move Nevada up on the calendar was spearheaded by former Democratic U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who continues to be influential in his home state.
It's opposed by many Republicans, including Nevada GOP party chairman Michael McDonald, who says it would take away the power of political parties to set their own contests, and diminish the state's large influence on the nominating process.
The Iowa caucus in 2020 was mired with problems. Results from the February third contest weren't certified until the last day of the month after recounts. The winner was Pete Buttigieg, although Bernie Sanders won the popular vote.
The delays were caused in part by problems with a mobile application created by Shadow Inc. that was used to report voting totals. Iowa's Democratic Party chair resigned over confusion with the caucus.