New Hampshire sets Republican primary for January 10 (Reuters)

LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) ? New Hampshire will maintain the status of its presidential primary by holding it on January 10, a week after Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus, Secretary of State William Gardner said on Wednesday.

The announcement comes after New Hampshire thwarted an attempt by Nevada to advance its caucus into mid-January, a move that had threatened to reduce the importance of the primary often seen as a make-or-break contest.

"Whether they have fame or fortune, they have a chance here," said Gardner. "The tradition of the New Hampshire primary lives on."

After Florida and South Carolina moved their votes forward, Nevada tentatively set its contest for January 14, a date that Gardner said left New Hampshire inadequate time to schedule its vote following the Iowa caucus.

After Gardner threatened to move the state's primary into early December and the Republican National Committee threatened sanctions, Nevada Republicans set their caucus for February 4.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney enjoys a wide lead among Republicans in New Hampshire polls.

However, Romney was criticized by state Republicans and New Hampshire's largest newspaper after it was revealed that his campaign had lobbied Nevada to move up its vote.

Romney, who is making his second bid for the White House, easily won his party's Nevada caucus in 2008.

His campaign had hoped that a similar result there following a win in New Hampshire would create a sense of inevitability around his candidacy ahead of the January 31 Florida primary.

Gardner thanked officials from Iowa and South Carolina, which will hold the third presidential contest on January 24, for their "solidarity" with New Hampshire in helping it face down Nevada.

The small New England state has played a key role in the presidential selection process since 1952, when it began direct voting for primary candidates.

In 1968 a strong showing by anti-war candidate Eugene McCarthy in New Hampshire helped end incumbent President Lyndon Johnson's bid for re-election.

In 1992 Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton's surprisingly strong second-place finish in New Hampshire, to former Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas, earned him the label "the comeback kid" and helped vault him to the presidency.

(Reporting by Jason McLure; Editing by Ros Krasny and Xavier Briand)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111102/pl_nm/us_usa_campaign_new_hampshire

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