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yesterday

Democrats Open 2028 Primary Calendar Fight, With South Carolina’s Slot in Play

A revamped rules panel will set application guidelines next month.

FILE - DNC Chairman Ken Martin speaks during a news conference in Aurora, Ill., Aug 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)
Election workers staff one of a few in-person voting places in Las Vegas during a nearly all-mail primary election, on June 9, 2020.
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Overview

  • At the DNC’s summer meeting, Chair Ken Martin declared the 2028 calendar review officially underway, launching a months-long process with meetings through spring and no decision expected this year.
  • South Carolina’s 2024 lead-off status is not guaranteed, with Martin rejecting a rubber stamp and party leaders stressing an early state that tests candidates with large Black electorates.
  • Nevada made a public bid to go first, arguing its diversity, union strength and battleground status, while Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan are also positioning for early slots.
  • New Hampshire cites a state law requiring the first primary, and Iowa Democrats suggest they could hold an unsanctioned contest if excluded from the early window.
  • A substantially reconstituted Rules and Bylaws Committee — 32 of 49 members new — will drive the decision, as former Chair Jaime Harrison says he will fight to keep South Carolina first.