The Democratic National Committee gave final approval Saturday to its 2028 presidential primary calendar, locking in South Carolina as the first-in-the-nation contest and formally dropping Iowa from the party's early lineup for the first time in decades. The full committee voted during DNC meetings in Austin, Texas, capping months of internal debate over which states should get outsized influence in picking the party's next presidential nominee.

Under the calendar, South Carolina votes first on January 22, 2028, followed by Nevada on February 1, New Hampshire on February 8, New Mexico on February 15, Michigan on February 22 and Virginia on February 29. The lineup swaps in more racially and economically diverse electorates for two of the traditional early states, continuing a shift that began when President Biden first elevated South Carolina ahead of the 2024 cycle.

Elevating Black and Latino voters

DNC Chair Ken Martin hailed the calendar as the most diverse in party history, arguing it better reflects the coalition of Black, Latino and union voters that powers Democratic primaries nationally. Party officials pointed to South Carolina's substantial Black electorate and Nevada's Latino and labor-heavy population as reasons both states deserve more influence than smaller, less representative early states have traditionally held.

NO MIDWESTERN STATE WILL GO IN THE FIRST FOUR.

The decision to drop Iowa drew immediate pushback. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart opposed the new calendar, warning that removing Iowa leaves no Midwestern state among the first four contests for the first time in the modern primary era. Iowa's caucuses, long the traditional kickoff to the presidential race, had already been stripped of their first-in-the-nation status in the last cycle after complaints the state's overwhelmingly white electorate poorly represented the national party.

Why it matters for 2028

Early-state status carries outsized weight in presidential primaries, shaping which candidates get sustained media attention, where campaigns spend their first months of resources, and which voters get the earliest, most concentrated visits from would-be nominees. With South Carolina and Nevada now anchoring the calendar's opening month, prospective 2028 Democratic candidates are expected to begin building organizations in both states well ahead of the formal primary season, while New Hampshire — which has repeatedly resisted losing its early-voting tradition — keeps a foothold in third position.

The calendar is not without risk for the party: Republicans have kept Iowa and New Hampshire atop their own early calendar, and some Democratic strategists worry that ceding the traditional first-in-the-nation spotlight could cost the party attention in a state it will still need to compete in during the general election. DNC officials say they'll spend the coming months finalizing debate schedules and delegate rules built around the new lineup.