New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Wednesday scheduling the state’s presidential primary the week after former President Donald Trump is set to appear for the trial of the indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Bragg handed down the first of four indictments against the former president in March over allegedly falsifying business records when reimbursing an alleged hush money payment. Hochul’s signing of an elections bill set New York’s 2024 primary on April 2, following Trump’s March 25 trial date. (RELATED: Trump’s Trial Dates Just So Happen To Align With Major Primary Contests)
“By safeguarding the integrity of our electoral process and ensuring equal access to the ballot box, we empower every New Yorker to have their voice heard,” Hochul said in a statement. “New York State remains committed to strengthening our democratic process, championing the right to vote for every citizen and cementing our place as a national leader on voting rights.”
The late March trial date is also just days after six states hold their nominating contests, including Florida, which has almost the same number of delegates than all four key early primary states combined — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 04: Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom with his attorneys Joe Tacopina and Boris Epshteyn (R) during his arraignment at the Manhattan Criminal Court. (Andrew Kelly-Pool/Getty Images)
The set and proposed trial dates for the other three indictments brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis also coincide with major primary dates next year.
Smith indicted Trump over allegedly mishandling classified documents in June. Judge Aileen Cannon set the trial date for that case on May 20, the day before Kentucky and Oregon hold their primaries, and just before the final primaries on June 4 in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota.
The special counsel also indicted the former president in August over alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Smith pushed for a trial date on Jan 2,2024, just before the first-in-the-nation nominating contest, the Jan. 15 Iowa Caucus. Judge Tanya Chutkan then set the date for March 4,2024, the day prior to Super Tuesday when Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia will hold their presidential preference contests.
Willis indicted Trump in August over alleged interference in Georgia’s 2020 election, and proposed the trial date also to be held the day before Super Tuesday, a week ahead of the state’s primary. The district attorney then proposed an earlier trial date for next month, which Judge Scott McAfee struck down on Thursday.
The RealClearPolitics (RCP) average for a 2024 national Republican primary, based on polls conducted between Sept. 6 and Sept. 18, indicates Trump is leading the crowded field by over 40 points.
Trump, Hochul and Bragg did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.