Democratic National Committee Designates South Carolina as First 2028 Primary State

Why it matters locally: Historically, Iowa has held a prominent position in the presidential nominating process. This DNC decision significantly alters the traditional early-state calendar, potentially impacting how Democratic presidential candidates campaign and allocate resources in future cycles, including in Iowa.

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WASHINGTON – The Democratic National Committee (DNC) rules committee has designated South Carolina to hold the first primary in the 2028 Democratic presidential nominating process. This decision alters the sequence of states initiating the party's primary calendar. NBC National Political Reporter Ben Kamisar reported on the committee's action. The DNC previously had two other states open its presidential primary calendar. The committee's change replaces those two states with states that feature different demographic compositions. South Carolina will now lead the early voting schedule for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.