DNC panel recommends South Carolina as first 2028 primary state

The DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee voted Friday in Washington, D.C., to recommend South Carolina as the first state in the 2028 Democratic presidential nominating contest, putting a large Black electorate at the center of the party’s opening test. Nevada was also in contention, but the recommendation would keep Iowa off the top of the Democratic calendar if the full Democratic National Committee signs off.

The panel’s choice followed a two-day process and reflected criteria that included geographic diversity and the importance of Black voters. South Carolina Democrats had already pushed to lock in that role: on Oct. 27, 2025, South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain said the committee had approved the principles and process for selecting the 2028 early states. Five Southern Democratic chairs also backed South Carolina to lead off the calendar, giving the state support well beyond Columbia.

If the full DNC ratifies the recommendation, the early-state map would tilt Democratic power-brokering toward voters and organizers who are most influential in South Carolina rather than the Iowa and New Hampshire electorate that long defined the party’s opening months. The order matters because the first contests determine which voters get the earliest chance to shape the field, which candidates can build momentum, where national media attention lands and how quickly campaigns can raise money. Lesser-known contenders often depend on those early bursts of credibility to survive.

Democrats have already used South Carolina in that role before. In 2020, the state was the first regular primary contest after party leaders reordered the early-state lineup, and party leaders have since argued that the calendar should better reflect the coalition that delivers presidential victories. On July 22, Rev. Al Sharpton urged Democrats to keep South Carolina first in 2028, saying Black voters have shown up for the party again and again.

The committee’s vote was only a recommendation, but it was the clearest sign yet that Democrats may be preparing to double down on South Carolina as the party’s first test of presidential strength. The committee had previously advanced 12 states to the next phase of the 2028 calendar selection process, setting up a final fight over how much influence Black voters, Southern Democrats and Iowa’s long-dominant rivals will have when the race opens.