Register reporter Jennifer Jacobs tweeted around 11 a.m. on Friday that the state GOP's central committee had decided in a phone conference to hold its primary election on Tuesday, Jan. 3. That decision will go to a formal vote on Oct. 16, the Register's official Twitter account clarified.
The four authorized early states -- Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina -- began to consider changes to their schedules after a Florida commission balked at the party's traditional schedule and set its primary date for Jan. 31.
Nevada has set its primary for Jan. 14; South Carolina's will now be held on Jan. 21. Each state that violates party rules by pushing its nominating contest forward will lose half of its delegates at next summer's Republican national convention.
Calls have been placed by Governing with the Iowa GOP office.
