Democratic Party overhauls primary calendar, replacing Iowa with diverse states
Democratic Party removes Iowa and expands early primary to six diverse states, selecting South Carolina first.
Event / Politics
US Democratic Primary Calendar 2028
The Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee voted on July 24, 2026 to select South Carolina as the first state for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, replacing Iowa's position for the first time since 1976. The decision prioritizes racially diverse states in a six-state early-voting schedule.
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2026-08-15 to 2026-11-12 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 25 Jul, 02:58 UTC
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What happened
Democratic National Committee selects South Carolina for first 2028 primary
The Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee voted on July 24, 2026 to recommend South Carolina as the first state to hold the Democratic presidential primary in 2028. South Carolina received 26 votes compared to Nevada's 19 votes. The full DNC membership must formally approve this decision at an August gathering in Austin, Texas.
Iowa removed from early Democratic primary calendar for first time since 1976
The Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee decided to remove Iowa from the early-voting calendar in 2028, marking the first time since 1976 that Iowa will not be included in the early primary contests. This reflects a broader effort to prioritize states with more diverse electorates in the nominating process.
Democratic primary calendar expanded to six early-voting states for 2028
The Democratic National Committee approved a new early-voting calendar for 2028 that includes six states instead of the previous number. The schedule is: South Carolina (January 22), Nevada (February 1), New Hampshire (February 8), New Mexico (February 15), Michigan (February 22), and Virginia (February 29). This represents an effort to ensure every region and constituency of the Democratic Party has a voice in the early primary window.
Democratic Party shifts primary calendar to prioritize racially diverse states
The Democratic National Committee's decision to make South Carolina first and include Nevada, New Mexico, and Virginia in the early primary calendar reflects a deliberate effort to give greater influence to states with larger Black and Latino populations. This marks a dramatic break from decades of tradition by removing Iowa and New Hampshire—two states with overwhelmingly white electorates—from the front of the calendar.
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