Nothing bad against Iowa or New Hampshire - but for both the GOP and the Dems, my ideal first state for voting would be Missouri.
Why?
It has suburbs (KC and St Louis). It has inner cities (both KC and St Louis). The northern part of the state identifies with the Midwest mostly. The southern part of the state identifies with the south mostly.
Demographically (race-wise), it’s about as close as you can get to a representative picture of a typical American state.
IMHO, Missouri should be the first state to vote.
Yes, Missouri is representative of America.
Ironically, the last Democrat to win Missouri at the presidential level is Clinton in 1996.
The last Democrats to represent MO—Claire McCaskill and Jay Nixon-—moderate Democrats.