MIPO Prepares to Bring Students to New Hampshire Presidential Primary

Marist alumni Hannah Kirk, Megan Landgraf and Harry Parette attend the 2020 New Hampshire Democratic Debate on February 7, 2020. The students were on the fourth quadrennial trip to the New Hampshire primaries hosted by the Marist Poll. The preparations for the 2024 trip to the primaries has begun. Credit: Mary Griffith, Associate Director of the Marist Poll.

A group of 30 Marist College students will have front-row seats to the 2024 New Hampshire Primaries on Jan. 20-23.

The trip is organized by the directors of the Marist Institute of Public Opinion (MIPO), Lee Miringoff and Barbara Carvalho. Students will travel around southern New Hampshire to get the opportunity to network with journalists and political power players by attending various candidate rallies and press events.

Students will interact with the politicians, staffers and press that are essential to the 2024 presidential election. The small size of the campaign region means that the group may run into significant public figures in the casual settings of restaurants or hotels. During the trip in 2020, some students accidentally ran into now-President Joe Biden buying candy bars in a gas station right before a historic victory. 

“Joe and Jill Biden walk in, and they're on their way to the airport,” said Miringoff. “That was Biden at the lowest of his campaign. Then he went down to South Carolina, won the primary and made it all the way to the White House.”

Biden will no longer attend the 2024 New Hampshire primary because his name will not appear on the ballot. The DNC decided to reorder the primary system by putting South Carolina first and stripping New Hampshire from the prized first spot that they’ve held since 1952; however, New Hampshire state law states that they must host the first primary in the nation. 

The DNC felt that New Hampshire, a state that is 93% white, does not accurately represent the diversity of the national population. By placing South Carolina first, a state that is 62% white, the DNC hopes to increase the opportunities for voters of color. 

So, without the potential to speak with Biden, students hope to spot the Republican candidates in attendance.

A possible interaction with public figures is motivation for many of the students to go on the trip.

“It's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet some really interesting people, such as journalists, other students or maybe even a presidential candidate,” said Matt Pater ‘25, head coach and research assistant at MIPO.

Miringoff and Carvalho have hosted this trip since 2008 and are still passionate about providing students with a unique adventure. From previous experiences like eating lunch with respected journalist Tim Russert to shaking hands with rising political candidates like Pete Buttigieg, students can look forward to gaining insight into the primary election process.