Dozen states compete for early slots in nominating process
WASHINGTON — The Democratic Party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee could vote as early as Friday on the order of the 2028 presidential primary calendar, moving the party one step closer to determining which states will kick off the nominating process.
Two people with knowledge of the party’s process but not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Associated Press on Monday that the panel could make that determination during a meeting in Washington. The committee has been holding monthly meetings as it evaluates proposals from a dozen states hoping to hold early primaries and caucuses, including Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
MSI previously reported that the Democratic state party chairs of five southern states urged the DNC in May to retain South Carolina as the first-in-the-nation primary, arguing its diverse electorate provides the best early test for building the coalition needed to win a general election.
The calendar is not considered final until approved by the full Democratic National Committee, which is scheduled to meet in August. The DNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Democrats overhauled their calendar-setting process after Iowa’s 2020 Democratic caucus debacle, which produced days of uncertainty over who had won. The party has since emphasized racial and geographic diversity in selecting which states vote first.