Massachusetts cool to 2012 primary shift

BOSTON, April 6 (UPI) -- Massachusetts Democrats are shunning appeals to move the state's presidential primary back from March 6, a step likely to hurt leading Republican Mitt Romney.

Letting conservative states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina dominate the early campaign is expected to boost right-wing candidates and hurt the former Massachusetts governor.

"We told them we are not interested," Secretary of State William Galvin, the state's chief election officer, told The Boston Globe. "It is not in the interest of Massachusetts to do this. The gain of more delegate slots is not a good reason to manipulate the election calendar. There is no appetite for it here."

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine and his staff have told the state party the Massachusetts delegation would be boosted by 10 percent if the primary is moved to April or even 15 percent if it is bundled into a regional cluster after March 20, the Globe reports.

Senior Democrats say the national party is trying to promote a more conservative GOP nominee, believing that would benefit President Barack Obama in November 2012.

Galvin confirmed Kaine had contacted him but did not comment on whether they discussed the effect on Republicans.