CONWAY â New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner says he will do all he can to maintain the Granite Stateâs first-in-the-nation presidential primary status. The longest-serving secretary of state in the nation, at 45 years and counting, is bracing for a challenge from Nevada, which he says has eyed the primary pole position for more than four decades. On June 11, Gov. Steve Sisolak (D-Nev.) signed a bill that officially changes that state's caucus into a primary and would move it to the first Tuesday in February starting in 2024. New Hampshire has held a presidential primary since 1916 and has held its first-in-the-nation label since 1920.