SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Moving California's presidential primary from June to February would force candidates to appeal to a population that more closely resembles the rest of the country, rather than focusing on the traditional early contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, a state senator said Wednesday.

The bill seeking to switch California's primary to Feb. 5 cleared the Senate Elections Committee on a 3-0 vote.

California's traditional June primary has left the state virtually irrelevant in the presidential nominating process, although candidates regularly visit to raise money.

Moving the primary would change the dynamic of presidential politics, said state Sen. Ron Calderon, the bill's author. A similar bill is pending in the Assembly.

"New Hampshire and Iowa, while they are really wonderful states, they don't reflect the diversification of this country," Calderon said after the hearing. "California has a diversified population. They're the bellwether for the rest of the country."

Other states also are considering or already have moved their presidential primaries to Feb. 5, creating a new Super Tuesday, said Jennie Bowser, a policy analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Oklahoma and Utah have picked that date, while Florida, Illinois and New Jersey are among those considering it. West Virginia's Republican convention also is scheduled for the first Tuesday in February.