The Nevada State Democratic Party has submitted a formal bid to become the first-in-the-nation presidential contest in 2024.
A formal letter was sent to the Democratic National Committee this week, signed by state party chair Judith Whitmer, stating the Nevada Democrats plan to send in an application
In a statement sent out Thursday, the party cited what it called Nevada's "broad demographic, geographic [and] economic diversity and battleground status" for making the state the best candidate.
"Making Nevada the first-in-the-nation primary would benefit the entire country, ensuring that voice is given to a truly representative cross-section of the American public and laying the groundwork for winning our battleground state - and the White House - in the general election," the party said.
The DNC announced last month that it would allow any interested state to apply to be an early state.
Iowa has traditionally held the first nominating contest with its presidential caucuses, which are followed by the New Hampshire primaries. Nevada has been third in the primary order in the last four presidential cycles.
Nevada lawmakers voted last year to move the state ahead of those two contests, while also switching from caucuses to primaries.
Gov. Steve Sisolak supports the proposal saying it's a great idea because Nevada is a diverse state.
While states are free to schedule their primaries and caucuses whenever they choose, central party committees control the allocation of delegates.
That means the Republican and Democratic National Committees can effectively set their schedules by withholding delegates from states that buck the parties' wishes.