South Carolina sidelines New Hampshire in Democratic presidential primary battle

WASHINGTON — Democrats have picked South Carolina to hold the first presidential contest of 2028 after a heated debate over whether the state, and its heavy Black population, should have an outsized sway in picking the nominee during what could be a combative open primary.

The Democratic Party’s powerful rules and bylaws committee, meeting July 24, chose Nevada to go after South Carolina, freezing traditional first-in-the-nation state New Hampshire out of the top two slots.

"We're seeing an assault on Black power, Black representation and Black voters in this country," said Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. "And what we did today is a direct reflection of the moment we're in right now. We are centering the voices of those Latino voters and other communities of color who have been terrorized by this government, giving them hope that we're not going to forget them in our party."

New Hampshire is currently slated to hold the third primary. Newcomer New Mexico was chosen to go fourth, with Michigan and Virginia rounding out the primaries Democrats chose to take place before a longer list of states hold primaries on March 7.

It marks the first time that New Mexico and Virginia have been added to Democrats' early window.

The full membership of the Democratic National Committee must formally approve the selection. They are expected to do so in August.

Black vs. Latino voting blocs

An intraparty dispute over which state should vote first pitted South Carolina against Nevada, the latter a battleground state with a significant Latino population that was also pushing hard to hold the first contest. 

The momentum swung toward South Carolina in recent weeks after a landmark Supreme Court decision weakened the Voting Rights Act and paved the way for redistricting efforts across the South that are expected to dilute Black representation in Congress.

The fight turned personal and at times testy as Democrats on the decision-making panel spoke in raw terms about voting rights for Black Americans and immigration enforcement actions taken by the Trump administration.

“We’re not a party on retreat. We’re not a party that is afraid. We are not a party of fear,” former DNC Chair Donna Brazile said during a forceful speech on Black voting power. “We are the party that will give every American citizen, every eligible voter, a seat at our table. And again, that starts in the South. Black voters."

The debate over which state should kick off the primary calendar serves as a proxy for the problems facing the fractured political party as it tries to build a coalition that can beat Republicans across the country in the next national election.

Democrats’ decision came after months of reflection on a bruising contest that ended with President Donald Trump's return to office. It will have major implications for where and how the party's presidential candidates campaign, with the committee effectively determining the order in which states are allowed to hold their primary contests and which voting blocs across the country will act as power brokers in the first open Democratic presidential race since 2020. 

South Carolina and Nevada were the favorites to go first, which led to public and private tension from their supporters. Nevada’s detractors argued that vote-counting there could take days, creating a fiasco in which the winner isn’t immediately known. An extended tabulation could hurt the party’s credibility and damage the nominee, South Carolina backers argued.

Nevada Democratic Party chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno emphasized the state's ties to labor unions, its demographic diversity and its early voting program in her public pitch.

"We are the working-class state. Nevada's electorate sets up a presidential candidate with the ability to win nationwide," Monroe-Moreno said.

Georgia vied unsuccessfully for an early spot. It made the cut for Democrats' early primary list in 2024 but could not get permission from the Republican-held secretary of state's office to move up its primary date. Members of the Democratic panel flagged concerns that Georgia could wind up in the same position if it were chosen for an early slot again.

New Hampshire Democrats not pleased

One-time heavyweights New Hampshire and Iowa battled to reclaim spots at the front of the calendar and weighed whether to go rogue against the DNC.

In a scathing statement, New Hampshire party chair Ray Buckley said the vote showed that "many party insiders have learned nothing" from the 2024 election. "This committee’s vote does not change the realities governing New Hampshire’s primary, which are beyond the control of both this committee and our state party. "

In 2024, Democrats moved to make South Carolina the first state to vote after an intervention by then-President Joe Biden. The decision led to a revolt by New Hampshire, which has a state law requiring it to hold the first primary, and penalties that kept Biden off the ballot in the state's primary. Biden supporters led a successful write-in campaign for him.

The party has since passed stiffer rules that are intended to prevent states such as New Hampshire and Iowa from hopping the line in the future. They range from steep fines to delegate stripping – and a requirement that candidates disavow any write-in campaigns that could be waged on their behalf.

"This is a calendar this party is going to actually protect," Martin said. "And unlike the past, it's not going to be a wink and a nod, 'We'll let you do what you want, and you can get away with it.' If they decide to do that, they know what the consequences are. We've been very clear."

Iowa Democratic caucus left out

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart called the decision a “slap in the face” to Iowa and Midwesterners, and she said the committee “lied” to Iowa when it promised an open process.

“It's no wonder that so many Iowans are encouraging me to pay absolutely no attention to the DNC's decision today,” she told reporters. “… This is just another example that national Democrats are truly out of touch with voters.”

Party leaders left the door open to holding a rogue first-in-the-nation caucus in defiance of the national party, but said they would wait first for the midterm elections to play out.

Democrats' 2028 presidential primary calendar

The 2028 Democratic primary calendar approved by the committee July 24:

• South Carolina, Jan. 22
• Nevada, Feb. 1
• New Hampshire, Feb. 8
• New Mexico, Feb. 15
• Michigan, Feb. 22
• Virginia, Feb. 29

Contributing: Brianne Pfannenstiel, The Des Moines Register