DNC Elevates South Carolina to Lead 2028 Democratic Primary Calendar

Iowa and New Hampshire have been removed from the early lineup, although they may resist the change. South Carolina and Nevada have secured early positions.

On Saturday, the Democratic National Committee formally adopted sweeping revisions to the 2028 presidential primary calendar, placing more racially diverse states at the forefront.

The voting sequence traditionally shapes the primary contest, affecting which issues gain prominence and which candidates rise to the top.

Party officials designated South Carolina to vote first on January 22, 2028, with Nevada following on February 1, New Hampshire on February 8, New Mexico on February 15, Michigan on February 22, and Virginia on February 29.

The new calendar marks a dramatic shift from past competitive primaries. For decades, Iowa and New Hampshire—states with predominantly white populations—kicked off the process. Now two Southern states and two Western states will hold early contests, likely boosting the influence of Black and Latino voters. As DNC Chairman Ken Martin put it in his Saturday address, “Six states, different regions, different communities, different experiences, but together they form our roadmap to the White House.”

The early states will wield outsized influence in narrowing what is expected to be a large field of candidates. The sequence was finalized by a vote of DNC members at a meeting in Austin, Texas, on Saturday.

Following the individual contests of the first six states, numerous additional states will vote on Super Tuesday in early March.

The party’s new rules impose stiff penalties on states that violate the calendar and on candidates who campaign in those states. Nevertheless, uncertainty persists, particularly in New Hampshire, where state law mandates that its primary be the nation’s first. The DNC permits New Hampshire to hold a party‑run primary on February 8.

New Hampshire Democrats have thus far resisted being pushed to third place.

The party attempted to give South Carolina the lead spot in 2024 as well, but New Hampshire moved ahead. Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. opted not to appear on the New Hampshire ballot, prompting his supporters to launch a write‑in campaign; the party later lifted its penalties and seated the state’s delegates at the convention.

It remains uncertain when Iowa will hold its 2028 primary or caucus. The state has objected to the DNC’s new calendar, and some Iowa politicians have threatened to schedule an early event anyway, citing state law that requires Iowa to caucus at least eight days before any other presidential nominating contest.

On Saturday, Rita Hart, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, remarked that the new calendar “excludes vast portions of the country and the voters Democrats need.”

She also warned that the process could still be “thrown into chaos” and become an “unwelcome distraction” for Iowa Democrats seeking victory this year.

Former DNC Chair Jamie Harrison, who also led the South Carolina Democratic Party, argued, “We’re not erasing tradition; we’re building on it.”

Despite the uncertainty, prospective 2028 candidates are already converging on these early states. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, now residing in Michigan, is scheduled to appear at a South Carolina political event next week. California Governor Gavin Newsom campaigned alongside Dr. Abdul El‑Sayed, the progressive Democratic Senate candidate, this past weekend after securing the Michigan nomination. New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez had previously campaigned for Dr. El‑Sayed ahead of the primary and also featured in a campaign commercial for him.

South Carolina leaders are eager for the heightened attention the state—and the issues important to its voters—will now receive. For years, Iowa’s premier position meant candidates focused on agricultural topics and ethanol, for example.

Black voters have traditionally acted as a moderating force within Democratic politics, so South Carolina’s early placement could produce a comparable effect. Historically, South Carolina served as the pivotal state that anointed the candidate with the most momentum before Super Tuesday. Now, larger and more costly states such as Michigan and Virginia are poised to assume that role.

Strategists from both the moderate and progressive wings of the party have analyzed how the new calendar might unfold. For instance, Pete Buttigieg won Iowa in 2020, but that state is no longer part of the early slate. Senator Bernie Sanders, a leading progressive, captured New Hampshire in both of his presidential campaigns, though analysts debate whether his success stemmed from ideological alignment or from his long tenure representing neighboring Vermont.

President Biden had positioned South Carolina first in the 2024 calendar, elevating the state that gave him the nomination in 2020 after difficult losses in Iowa and New Hampshire. However, it remained uncertain whether South Carolina would retain that lead position for 2028.

South Carolina engaged in a fierce contest with Nevada—a key general‑election battleground—for the leadoff spot.

The final order, which also incorporates New Mexico and its sizable Latino electorate, has garnered largely positive feedback from Democrats as fair and geographically balanced. The primary criticism originates from the Midwest, which now has just a single state—Michigan—among the first six, placing it fifth.

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