Miss. considers joining 'SEC primary' for presidential race

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Lawmakers will debate whether Mississippi should take part in a regional presidential primary, beginning in 2016.<br /> <br /> The move would help create the "SEC primary," named after the Southeastern Conference in sports.<br /> <br /> The Southeast is a stronghold for Republicans in presidential politics. Secretaries of state, including Republican Delbert Hosemann of Mississippi, have endorsed a regional primary as a way for the states to grab the attention of presidential candidates.<br /> <br /> House Bill 933 ( http://bit.ly/1yUhj7Y ) would move Mississippi's primary to the first Tuesday of March. Under current law, the state's presidential primary is set for the second Tuesday of that month.<br /> <br /> The bill has passed the House Apportionment and Elections Committee and awaits debate in the full House.<br /> <br /> Both Georgia and Tennessee are already set on the March 1, 2016, date.