Democrats Set 2028 Primary Calendar, South Carolina Leads
AUSTIN, Texas — Democrats are gathering this week to give final approval to their 2028 presidential primary calendar, setting the stage for a wide-open contest to succeed President Donald Trump and chart a path ahead as the party’s voters oscillate between progressive and more moderate candidates.
The Democratic National Committee is expected to vote at its summer meeting in Austin, Texas, on the new order that frontloads states with more diverse populations. The meeting comes ahead of bitterly contested midterm elections that will decide control of Congress later this year.
A Historic Calendar Overhaul
The party is expected to give final approval to a calendar that has South Carolina’s primary first on Jan. 22, followed by Nevada on Feb. 1. New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia would round out the early states, voting throughout February.
The overhaul reflects Democrats’ effort to give greater influence to states that better mirror the party’s diverse coalition, particularly Black and Latino voters, after years of a calendar led by Iowa and New Hampshire, two states with overwhelmingly white electorates.
The proposed calendar would cement South Carolina at the start of the nominating process, reflecting a change former President Joe Biden pushed for after that state revived his struggling 2020 campaign. South Carolina has long been the first Southern contest and has served as a key test of candidates’ support among Black voters.
The calendar was preliminarily approved by the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee at a meeting in Washington on July 24, which selected South Carolina over Nevada for the lead-off position. As Fox News reported, the battle between the two states was seen as a struggle between rewarding Black voters, who have long been loyal Democratic voters, and outreach to Latino voters, with whom Trump and Republicans made major gains in 2024.
“This calendar will battle test our candidates, ensure our nominee can appeal to broad swaths of the electorate and this calendar will allow voters, not money, but voters to be the ultimate decider,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said after the committee vote.
Traditional Early States Push Back
Iowa is left out of the early-state lineup entirely for the first time in decades, marking a dramatic break from tradition. Iowa has led the Democratic presidential nominating calendar with caucuses for 50 years until 2024.
Rita Hart, the Iowa Democratic Party chair, said the decision was a sign the party is “out of touch with voters.” She called the calendar vote “very messy.”
New Hampshire officials have expressed similar disappointment. Congressional leaders, including Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, said the decision was “wrong for Democrats, wrong for New Hampshire, and wrong for the country.”
New Hampshire’s secretary of state is required by law to schedule its presidential primary at least seven days before any other state holds a similar contest, setting up a potential conflict with the DNC calendar. New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley argued that the committee’s vote “does not change the realities governing New Hampshire’s primary.”
“Today’s vote shows that many party insiders have learned nothing from 2024,” Buckley said. “New Hampshire has a proven track record of testing our candidates with a rigorous, fair, and efficient process, yet those qualities did not prevail.”
The GOP still needs to draw up its calendar. Republicans are expected to stick with their traditional early-state lineup led off by Iowa and New Hampshire.
DNC Financial Pressures Loom
The gathering also coincides with significant financial struggles confronting Democrats. The DNC reported about $16 million cash on hand in its most recent Federal Election Commission filing, along with more than $18 million in debt. The GOP, meanwhile, reported nearly $129 million cash on hand.
As USA Today reported, the Democratic Party has burned through more than $207 million since the start of 2025 — keeping people on staff during non-presidential election years, sending money to state parties to organize campaigns, and paying off millions in credit card bills.
In October 2025, the DNC took out a $15 million loan secured against its Washington, D.C., headquarters. Starting in January 2027, the loan will require payments of $1.67 million per month.
“I don’t remember any parties being in this degree of financial constraints,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. “It’s a bad look for a major political party to be in financial straits.”
Leadership Under Scrutiny
The group also is convening at a time of internal turmoil, with some members calling for DNC Chairman Ken Martin to be replaced. Critics have questioned Martin’s leadership decisions and the party’s fundraising, which lags well behind Republicans just months before the crucial midterms.
As The Guardian reported, the embattled DNC chair became the subject of an internal HR inquiry after throwing his phone in the direction of a junior aide’s desk during a heated exchange in early July. The incident nearly cost him his job and has contributed to growing isolation within the party.
The New York Times separately reported that the DNC had asked vendors not to send invoices until after the midterm elections in November. DNC Executive Director Roger Lau called the bill-deferral discussions “nothing more than standard negotiations with vendors over contracts and payment processes.”
Martin had his defenders on Thursday. William Owen, a committee member from Tennessee, pointed to victories in special elections that Democrats have won under Martin.
“I think all of us are working as hard as we can to elect Democrats across the country,” Owen said during a resolutions committee hearing. He added later: “I’m tired of people criticizing Ken Martin and criticizing the DNC.”
Martin isn’t expected to be replaced before the midterms, as the party has no clear alternative to take over. But members have said the most likely time for a leadership change may be the DNC’s winter meeting after the November contests — and before the 2028 presidential primary process begins in earnest.
A Wide-Open Race Ahead
The calendar decision is one of the first milestones in what’s expected to be a tumultuous two-year sprint to the Democratic nomination. There has not been a truly open Democratic presidential primary — without an incumbent president or a dominant front-runner — in almost two decades.
Democratic primaries already have been testing which direction the party is headed in, through races in states such as Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. While there’s been a split between more progressive candidates who buck the party’s establishment and those with more moderate views who have backing from party officials, the common thread is that Democratic voters have been looking for change.
As NBC News noted, the new map will shape the opening stage of what is expected to be a crowded Democratic presidential primary. Without an incumbent or clear front-runner, the states that vote first could once again play an outsized role in determining which candidates gain momentum, attract donors and emerge as viable contenders.
Republicans, confronting high prices and the president’s sagging approval, have been eager to cast the party as moving too far to the left.
“Instead of asking themselves why voters are rejecting their socialist agenda, Democrats are denying reality and reshuffling their voting calendar,” Bernadette Breslin, NRSC National Press Secretary, said in a statement.
What to Watch Next
The DNC’s final vote on the calendar in Austin will cement the early-state lineup for 2028, but questions remain about whether states like New Hampshire and Iowa will comply. Martin has acknowledged the party will “have to cross that bridge when we get there” regarding states potentially defying the calendar.
With the midterms approaching in November, the DNC’s financial health and Martin’s leadership will continue to face scrutiny. The party’s ability to compete with Republican fundraising — and to unite around a primary calendar that satisfies its diverse coalition — will shape the landscape for the 2028 presidential race.