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South Carolina goes first
The Democratic National Committee officially selected South Carolina as the first state to vote in the party's 2028 primaries, with the vote taking place during the DNC's summer meeting in Austin, Texas on Saturday.
“The Democratic National Committee on Saturday officially selected South Carolina as the first state to vote in the party's 2028 primaries”
Reuters said the calendar codified a July vote by the organization's Rules & Bylaws Committee and set South Carolina for Jan. 22, 2028, followed by Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia.
NBC News reported the DNC formally anointed South Carolina, with its large African American primary electorate, as the first-in-the-nation state and said the early series would run from late January through the end of February.
The Hill reported the DNC okayed a plan that has South Carolina kicking off the cycle on Jan. 22, 2028, followed by Nevada on Feb. 1, with New Hampshire on Feb. 8, New Mexico on Feb. 15, Michigan on Feb. 22 and Virginia on Feb. 29.
DNC Chair Ken Martin said in opening remarks that “Our 2028 nominee, whoever they are, will have to earn the support across the full breadth of America.”
Pushback and competing claims
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart opposed the new 2028 calendar, saying on Saturday that it “fundamentally misses the mark,” and she argued that the job of the DNC calendar is to “ensure that the strongest possible nominee emerges.”
The Hill reported that some Democrats voiced frustration with Chair Ken Martin ahead of the midterm election and noted that Democrats have been divided over Martin’s decision to release a much-anticipated autopsy of the party’s 2024 losses.
CBS News contributor and Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha said the schedule shows Black voters “the respect that they're due,” while Kentucky's Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said the change pushes contenders to “get out and earn it.”
New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley issued a statement calling the calendar “disappointing,” and the New Hampshire U.S. congressional delegation said in a statement that “New Hampshire's First in the Nation primary is a tested proving ground.”
MS NOW reported that Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart criticized the calendar for having “no representation of states with a majority of Central or Mountain time zones, and no Midwest state is among the first four.”
What’s at stake next
The new calendar goes into effect as Democrats continue a shift away from a tradition that for half a century gave states that are predominantly composed of White voters — Iowa and New Hampshire — outsized influence at the start of the nominating process.
“If you're not strong with Latino voters or if you're not strong with Black voters”
CBS News said strategists view the schedule as giving greater influence to Black and Latino voters, and it quoted Rocha saying that if “you're not strong with Latino voters or if you're not strong with Black voters, you know you can only get so far in this calendar.”
Reuters said the first state to vote in a presidential nominating contest often helps shape the field of candidates by drawing campaign spending and media attention, and it described the DNC’s goal as allowing Democrats “to battle-test candidates while maintaining an open, affordable field.”
The Hill reported that the DNC’s meetings come as some Democrats voice frustration with Martin and also described scrutiny of the party’s finances, including reporting that the DNC took out a line of credit last fall and put up its building as collateral for the loan.
In a statement about the vote, the DNC said it “truly represents our party and our values, and will help us retake the White House in 2028,” tying the calendar to the party’s presidential objective.
