Republicans pick 2024 Iowa caucus date for the presidential nomination. What to know:

The Republican Party of Iowa will hold its first-in-the-nation presidential caucus on Jan. 15 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"We remain committed to maintaining Iowa's cherished first-in-the-nation caucuses and look forward to holding a historic caucus in the coming months and defeating Joe Biden come November 2024," Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in an emailed statement.

Kaufmann told reporters that the date fit best with other early states — although he said Republicans were "certainly very pleased" that people may have more availability to attend a caucus on the holiday.

"We see this as honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King, in terms of having a caucus here," he said.

The Republican National Committee has been firm that Iowa Republicans will hold the first caucus of the 2024 cycle. But the Democratic National Committee plans to completely reshuffle its nominating calendar, booting Iowa's Democratic caucus from the premier spot and potentially creating disruptions for both parties.

What does this mean for Iowa Democrats?

For decades, Iowa Democrats and Republicans have held their caucuses on the same night. Instead, the DNC wants to hold its first contest in South Carolina.

Seeking to appease the national party's desire for Iowa to move closer to a primary system, Iowa Democrats proposed changes to the caucus process, allowing for mail-in participation. They said in May they also would propose holding a caucus the same night as Iowa Republicans — now set for Jan. 15.

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said Saturday that Democrats "did not have a chance to have any input on the choice of this date," but added, “No matter what, Iowa Democrats are committed to moving forward with the most inclusive caucus process in Iowa's history."

"We’re committed to doing what's good for Democrats, what's good for Iowa, and what's good for democracy,” Hart said in a statement.

It's unclear how a Jan. 15 Democratic caucus would go over with the DNC or with New Hampshire, which holds the nation's first primary. The Granite State has threatened to leap ahead of Iowa if the revamped caucus too closely resembles a primary.

In the hopes of warding off New Hampshire, Iowa Republican lawmakers passed a bill to bar mail-in participation for a first-in-the-nation caucus. Kaufmann said that law makes him "more comfortable" that Iowa Republicans will be able to retain their place at the front of the line.

"I can now tell New Hampshire that what the Democrats are doing is an illegal activity, and so, therefore, they have no reason to jump," Kaufmann told reporters Saturday.

Democrats, however, have said their plan doesn't violate that law, as they still intend to meet in person on caucus night — even though the presidential selection process will occur through mailed "presidential preference cards."

Iowa Democrats have not announced when they will tally and announce the totals for the presidential preference cards. They have suggested it could be on caucus night or on a different night entirely.

Des Moines Register Chief Politics Reporter Brianne Pfannenstiel contributed reporting.

Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Republicans select a date to hold 2024 presidential caucuses