Democrats Put South Carolina First in New Primary Calendar
The American Conservative · R · trust 62/100
State of the Union: Citing diversity concerns, the Democratic Party locked in a new schedule for its 2028 presidential primaries.
Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... The Democratic National Committee (DNC) formally approved a new presidential primary calendar Saturday. In a major shake-up, South Carolina will now hold the first contest for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination on January 22, 2028. Following South Carolina will be Nevada (February 1), New Hampshire (February 8), New Mexico (February 15), Michigan (February 22), and Virginia (February 29).
The new schedule boots Iowa and New Hampshire from their traditional positions as the party’s first and second contests (New Hampshire is now third, while Iowa’s date has not yet been set). Early primary states can play an outsize role in determining who will win the nomination, and the new additions to the initial primary slots are expected to increase the influence of black and Hispanic voters.
Diversity concerns played a major role in the party’s decision to revamp its primary calendar. “Our 2028 nominee, whoever they are,” DNC chair Ken Martin said in a speech announcing the changes Saturday, will now “have to earn the support across the full breadth of America: every region, every demographic, every generation, every economic station in life.”
Although the DNC has prescribed harsh penalties for states that buck the new calendar, it is unclear whether Iowa and New Hampshire might try to fight the decision. The chair of the Iowa Democratic Party said the move “excludes huge swaths of the country and the voters Democrats need,” and the leader of New Hampshire’s Democrats called it “disappointing.” (Both Iowa and New Hampshire also have state laws mandating early contests.)
It is also unclear whether the revamped schedule will significantly tilt the field toward a particular wing of the Democratic Party, although some analysts have noted that South Carolina—now in pole position—historically rewards more moderate candidates.
Luke Nicastro is a senior editor at The American Conservative. Before joining the magazine, he spent nearly a decade working on defense and foreign policy in both government and industry, most recently as National Security Advisor to U.S. Senator Josh Hawley. He has also worked at the Congressional Research Service, the Department of the Navy, the National Defense University, and several defense contractors.
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