Democrats select South Carolina for their first 2028 presidential nominating contest

By — Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press By — Meg Kinnard, Associated Press Meg Kinnard, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrats-select-south-carolina-for-their-first-2028-presidential-nominating-contest Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Democrats select South Carolina for their first 2028 presidential nominating contest Politics Jul 24, 2026 5:26 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — South Carolina was selected Friday to once again lead off the Democratic Party's 2028 presidential nominating schedule, most likely cementing a dramatic break from decades of tradition by keeping Iowa off the top of the calendar and elevating more racially diverse states. READ MORE: Democrats could take initial vote on 2028 presidential primary calendar this week The decision by the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee will need to be approved by the full organization, which is scheduled to meet in August. South Carolina or Nevada had been expected to go first, with each state aggressively campaigning for the coveted spot. President Joe Biden successfully pushed to move South Carolina to the front of Democrats' 2024 calendar after the state revived his struggling 2020 presidential campaign. South Carolina has long been the first Southern contest and has served as a key test of candidates' support among Black voters. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Jaime Harrison, a former DNC chair in attendance Friday, told The Associated Press after the vote that keeping his home state first on Democrats' nominating calendar signaled to Black voters the value they bring to the party, especially after a Supreme Court decision aimed at weakening their voting power. "I think we needed a strong statement to say to the most loyal members of our party, which are Black voters, that we're going to stand up with you," said Harrison, who also chaired South Carolina's Democratic Party. "It was just really important for us to stand up and say, 'We see you, we hear you, but most importantly, we're gonna fight like hell for you. And your voices are important.'" Democratic leaders in a handful of southern states had lobbied for South Carolina to reprise its role as the party's first-in-the-nation contest holder, arguing in a letter to the DNC that the state best represents the initial playing field for presidential candidates to build the coalitions needed to win and serves as "a moral and political compass for our party and our nation." Democrats wanted more influence for diverse states 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. Much of F