DNC to approve 2028 primary calendar with South Carolina leadoff

Iowa drops from first slot in proposed early-state lineup

The Democratic National Committee is scheduled to approve its 2028 presidential primary calendar Saturday at a meeting in Austin, Texas. South Carolina’s primary would open the cycle on Jan. 22, with Nevada following on Feb. 1 and New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia rounding out the early window throughout February.

The proposed order removes Iowa from the top spot of the calendar. DNC Chairman Ken Martin, who has championed the calendar, told the party’s Black Caucus this week that the proposed lineup is the most diverse calendar in party history.

Under the new lineup, candidates competing in the early window would need to appeal to key supporters including Black and Latino voters and union members.

“It shouldn’t surprise anyone as a result of it being the largest and most diverse committee that we got the most diverse calendar in our party’s history,” Martin said.

The early window would compress into a roughly five-week stretch from late January through the end of February, with all six early-state contests scheduled in that period. South Carolina would open the sequence on Jan. 22, followed by Nevada on Feb. 1 and the remaining four states throughout February.

The Saturday vote would lock in the sequence of the first nominating contests for the 2028 cycle. Approval by the DNC would set the order of the early states and establish which states Democratic candidates must reach first in the nominating process.