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Politics

Trio of lower-tier Democrats will shun early primary states

Richardson, Dodd and Biden sign a pledge not to campaign in Florida.

WASHINGTON - Democrats Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden became the first presidential candidates Friday to promise not to campaign in states that hold early nominating contests in violation of party rules.

The three quickly signed onto a pledge circulated by Democratic leaders of the four states that have the party's blessing to hold early contests - Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina. The pledge says they will avoid competing in any other states that vote before Feb. 5, which includes Florida.

Florida Democratic Party chairwoman Karen Thurman said in a one-sentence statement: "I don't see how anybody who believes he or she should be president of the United States of America could get tricked into signing a pact to ignore tens of millions of diverse Americans by a selfish, four-state alliance of party insiders."

Aides to Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton said they were reviewing the pledge. Clinton's aides have previously said she is committed to competing wherever there is a primary or a caucus.

Richardson, Dodd and Biden have the most incentive to keep the contest focused on the states approved by the DNC. They have raised less money and can't afford to organize in multiple states at the same times, especially those with expensive media markets such as Florida and Michigan.

Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, said in his formal announcement in May that he would campaign in Florida even if the contest were on Jan. 29. But Friday he said in a statement that the "process is completely out of control and only an agreement by the candidates can restore sanity."

[Last modified September 1, 2007, 01:32:36]