The Democratic National Committee has finalized its 2028 presidential nominating calendar, moving South Carolina to the top spot and demoting Iowa from its longtime first-in-the-nation status. The new schedule places Nevada third and New Hampshire fourth, with a proposed Feb. 8 primary date for the latter. The changes aim to prioritize racial diversity in early voting states, according to the DNC’s approved plan.
Iowa Democrats weigh response to calendar demotion
Iowa Democrats are assessing their options following the DNC’s decision, with some advocating for holding the state’s caucuses independently of the national party’s calendar. A former Iowa Democrat and elected official told the Washington Examiner that the outcome of several competitive races in the state—including the governor’s race and three congressional districts—will determine whether the party pushes back against the DNC’s changes. The races in IA-01, IA-02, and IA-03 are considered toss-ups, while the IA-02 District and Senate races are seen as competitive but slightly favorable to Republicans.
Charlie Comfort, another former Iowa Democrat, expressed support for holding the caucuses early regardless of DNC directives, citing positive momentum for Democrats in the state. “I’d be supportive of it being early regardless of what the DNC says,” Comfort stated. “Heck, New Hampshire went early in 2024, and they still landed in the early vote window for 2028.” He argued that defying the DNC could send a message to voters skeptical of the party’s leadership.
New Hampshire Republicans criticize DNC over primary demotion
Former New Hampshire Senator John Sununu criticized the DNC’s decision to remove New Hampshire as the first primary, calling the move a failure of local Democratic representation. Sununu, who is running for the Republican Senate nomination, argued that New Hampshire’s engaged electorate—with the highest turnout in the country—makes it ideal for grassroots campaigning. “New Hampshire is the best place to hold that first primary because somebody without name recognition, without a huge bankroll, can come into the state, campaign town to town, person to person, and have an impact,” Sununu told the Ruthless Podcast.
The DNC’s new calendar places South Carolina and Nevada ahead of New Hampshire, which nearly derailed Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign before his landslide victory in South Carolina revived his prospects. Sununu also criticized New Hampshire’s Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas for failing to advocate effectively for the state’s first-in-the-nation status.
Potential boost for Kamala Harris in South Carolina
South Carolina’s new position as the first primary in the 2028 Democratic nominating process could provide a strategic advantage to Vice President Kamala Harris if she seeks the presidency, according to analysts. Kaivan Shroff, a former 2024 delegate for Harris, noted that Harris’s potential candidacy would benefit from South Carolina’s heavily African American electorate, which played a pivotal role in Biden’s 2020 victory. “I do think this is a big boost to Kamala Harris,” Shroff said. “When you consider what the field is going to look like, or at least whose names are being thrown around, it really is a lot of white men and Kamala Harris at this point in time.”
Harris has not yet formally announced a 2028 bid but has hinted at a potential run, including at the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network convention in April. Other potential Democratic candidates, such as Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), lack Harris’s national campaign infrastructure, according to Shroff.
DNC’s rationale and long-term implications
The DNC’s approved calendar reflects a push to diversify the early voting states, with South Carolina and Nevada joining Georgia as key early contests. The changes follow criticism that Iowa and New Hampshire, historically dominated by white voters, do not reflect the party’s evolving base. The new schedule sets South Carolina as the first primary, followed by Nevada, then New Hampshire on Feb. 8, Georgia, and Michigan. The DNC has not yet finalized the remaining contests.
The adjustments come amid broader debates within the Democratic Party about the role of early states in the nominating process. Some Democrats argue that the changes will better reflect the party’s diversity, while others, particularly in Iowa and New Hampshire, contend that the move undermines the grassroots tradition of their states’ contests.