The Democratic National Committee’s rules and bylaws committee voted Friday in Washington DC to recommend that South Carolina remain the first state to vote in the party’s 2028 presidential primary process. This decision is part of a bid to better represent the views of the party’s racially diverse voter base as Democrats seek to reclaim the White House.
South Carolina is scheduled to take the first spot on January 22, 2028, followed by Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan, and Virginia, in that order. This arrangement could represent the biggest overhaul of the primary calendar in decades.
The recommendation passed with a slim majority of votes from the committee. The final selections must still be confirmed by the full DNC at a meeting set for next month.