Fla. Announcement Could Shake Up GOP Primary Dates

Florida's rumored plan to set its presidential primary at the end of January has rankled four states authorized by the Republican National Committee to hold the early primaries, POLITICO reports, and those states are now refusing to set their own dates until Florida resolves to push its primary back.

The four early states -- Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina -- may wait past the RNC's Oct. 1 deadline if Florida's situation isn't clear, according to POLITICO. CNN reported on Wednesday that Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon had decided his state would hold its presidential primary on Jan. 31. The state's election committee will announce the official primary date on Friday, according to POLITICO.

The news agency reports GOP chairman Chad Connelly and representatives from the early states spoke on a conference call Wednesday to discuss the matter. RNC officials have privately been pressuring Florida to move its primary to Feb. 21 or later.

Party rules dictate that any state other than the authorized four would lose half of its delegates at the party's national convention next summer if it holds its nominating contest before March 6, according to POLITICO.