At least a half-dozen states applied to be in the early nominating window for 2028’s Democratic presidential campaign, kicking off a contentious battle for securing an influential perch inside the primary calendar.
The usual suspects — New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and Michigan, who made up the early states in Democrats’ 2024 primary calendar, though not in the order set out by the Democratic National Committee — are all back, per their state parties. So is Iowa, hoping to reinsert itself into the process after it was bounced four years ago. Georgia also applied.
Virginia and North Carolina are both seriously considering applying, according to three people familiar with the state’s thinking and granted anonymity to describe private conversations, ahead of the deadline later Friday. Other wild-card states may also still apply before the cutoff, and the DNC declined to comment on which states have applied so far.
The presidential nominating calendar — which states are in it and in what order — will affect how Democratic presidential candidates tailor their strategies heading into a wide-open 2028 primary. It would inform which states to prioritize, where to place staff, how much money each state will cost a campaign — all calculations that have shaped previous presidential primaries. Unsurprisingly, Democrats have a lot of opinions on how that should go.
“The day after the 2026 midterms, people are going to launch into action, so the window needs to be set,” said Jay Parmley, executive director of the South Carolina Democratic Party. “It’s possible they not only start coming, but they could start putting staff on the ground the earliest we’ve ever seen.”
The process to set the process could stretch deep into 2026. Members of the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee charged with setting the calendar are expected to winnow the field of applicants at their Jan. 31 meeting, according to three DNC members involved in the process and granted anonymity to discuss private conversations.
States will then be invited to make presentations to the committee later that spring. One DNC member said they expected the calendar to be set over the summer and voted on by the full DNC at its August meeting, but the timeline could easily shift later into 2026.
Shaking up the presidential nominating calendar started back in 2022, after Iowa’s disastrous 2020 caucuses and accusations that the early states didn’t reflect the party’s racial diversity. Then-President Joe Biden — ahead of what was at the time expected to be a staid primary process — elevated South Carolina even earlier in the order, cut Iowa and added Michigan to the calendar.
Now, DNC officials have pledged to start the process from scratch. They’ve said they want all four regions of the country represented, as well as a potential extra state, to vote ahead of Super Tuesday. DNC members have also emphasized whether states represent racial and geographic diversity, the cost effectiveness for smaller presidential candidates and the general election competitiveness of the states.
“The early states should be swing states,” said Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. “The investments we’re making on the ground [in the primary] are beneficial to the general.”
That’s led to two fights resurfacing: For some states, it’s about just getting into the window; others want to be first. Think Iowa, Michigan and Georgia for those hoping to be invited to the early window party. All three are vying to either return or get into it for the first time.
For Georgia, the path is more complicated. Democrats don’t currently hold the governor’s mansion or the Legislature and almost assuredly won’t have a trifecta after the midterms, meaning they’d need GOP cooperation to move up their primary should the state be selected. But Georgia Democrats are confident they could adjust their date.
“Even if there is a Republican [governor],” after the 2026 election, “Republicans in the past have very much wanted theirs to be earlier as well,” said Charlie Bailey, the Georgia Democratic Party’s chair. “All the logic in the world points to Republicans wanting to move up in their process for their own reasons.”
The second group — including Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina — are all pushing for the influential first-place slot. Nevada, in particular, has been aggressive in their lobbying push of DNC members. New Hampshire released a memo last fall, emphasizing they wouldn’t just rely on a “tradition” argument to maintain their first-in-the-nation status.
South Carolina, too, said it wants to keep its spot, after Biden elevated them to the coveted first official spot. (New Hampshire, however, still held its primary first in 2024 despite threats from the DNC, as required under state law.)
“Our hope is that we maintain the position, but, of course, we’ll fully respect the decision and wishes of the RBC, even if we are unhappy,” said Parmley, the South Carolinian.
In a statement, RBC Co-chairs Jim Roosevelt and Minyon Moore said: “The Rules and Bylaws Committee is committed to running a rigorous, efficient, and fair process that will deliver the strongest presidential nominee for our party. We look forward to continuing that work later this month when the committee begins consideration of state applications to hold their contest in the early window of the 2028 Democratic presidential nominating process.”
Samuel Benson contributed to this report. A version of this article first appeared in POLITICO Pro’s Morning Score. Want to receive the newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories.
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