The Democratic Party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee may vote as early as Friday on the order of states participating in the 2028 presidential primary process, according to two individuals with knowledge of party procedures. However, the determination would remain preliminary until the full Democratic National Committee ratifies it during a scheduled meeting in August.
The committee has convened monthly to deliberate the primary sequence and has received presentations from approximately a dozen states seeking prominent positions in the voting order. States that have made appeals include Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, each presenting arguments for why they should participate earlier in the process.
The party altered its approach to calendar-setting following complications during Iowa’s 2028 Democratic caucus, which created several days of confusion regarding the actual winner of that contest. In response, Democratic leadership has emphasized expanding participation to more demographically diverse states in subsequent cycles.
During the 2024 primary process, President Joe Biden spearheaded an initiative through the DNC to position South Carolina as the party’s first overall primary contest rather than traditional frontrunners Iowa and New Hampshire, which have predominantly white populations. South Carolina’s Democratic leaders have since advocated for the state to maintain this position for 2028, citing its demographic composition as representative of the broader coalition necessary for winning the general election. The state’s population includes approximately 25% Black residents and about 9% Hispanic residents according to Census data.