Toggle Daily
DNC panel puts South Carolina first for 2028 primary
July 24, 2026
A DNC committee selected South Carolina to lead the Democrats' 2028 presidential primary calendar, keeping Iowa off the top of the schedule.
AP News reports that 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." NBC News, The New York Times, and Politico corroborate the core selection, with Politico's headline stating flatly that Democrats picked South Carolina to lead the 2028 primary calendar.
The outlets tilt differently on how contested the moment was. The New York Times, under the headline "South Carolina and Nevada Fight to Kick Off Democrats' 2028 Presidential Calendar," frames a live contest between two states, a framing that fits the remark AP News carries from Artie Blanco of Nevada, a DNC vice chair: "We are the battleground state." AP News alone carries the reaction from Jaime Harrison, a former DNC chair, who told the agency after the vote that keeping his home state first signaled to Black voters the value they bring to the party, especially after a Supreme Court decision aimed at weakening their voting power. AP News also reports the procedural caveat: the decision by the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee will need approval from the full organization, scheduled to meet in August.
What is settled: the Rules and Bylaws Committee chose South Carolina to vote first, four outlets carry it. What is not: the Nevada tension, the Harrison and Blanco quotes, and the August ratification detail all rest on AP News alone, and the calendar is not final until the full DNC votes.
Still developing
The full DNC must still ratify the committee's decision at its August meeting, and the color surrounding the vote, including the Blanco and Harrison quotes and the Nevada rivalry, rests on AP News alone.
How settled the reporting is
Sources
- AP News — Democrats select South Carolina for their first presidential nominating contest in 2028 election
- NBC News — DNC committee sets up South Carolina to vote first in Democrats’ 2028 presidential primaries
- Politico — Dems pick South Carolina to lead 2028 primary calendar
- The Hill — Whole Hog Politics: Ready or not, 2028 field is taking shape