The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is gearing up to play kingmaker for the 2028 presidential primaries, deciding which states get the coveted early voting slots, as CBS News reports.
The DNC is set to determine which handful of states will kick off the nomination process, a decision that shapes candidate strategies, boosts local economies, and influences the party’s messaging from the get-go.
This month, the DNC’s rules and bylaws panel will convene to hammer out the application process for states vying to hold early nominating contests.
Materials outlining the framework, including a draft resolution and request for proposal, were distributed to panel members on Friday, setting the stage for a heated competition.
The criteria for these early states are clear: they must test candidates with diverse voter bases, keep costs manageable for campaigns, and ensure a transparent, inclusive process.
Only four or five states will snag spots in this “early window” before Super Tuesday, with at least one state required from each of the DNC’s four regions -- East, Midwest, South, and West.
Let’s rewind to the last big shake-up under President Joe Biden, when the DNC ditched Iowa’s long-standing first-in-the-nation status and handed the lead spot to South Carolina, citing its pivotal role in reviving Biden’s 2020 campaign.
Biden himself pushed for this change, writing in a 2022 letter to DNC members that the party must “ensure that voters of color have a voice in choosing our nominee much earlier in the process and throughout the entire early window.”
While the intent may sound noble, let’s be real -- prioritizing certain demographics over others risks alienating broad swaths of voters who value tradition and fairness over identity politics.
New Hampshire, bumped down to share its primary day with Nevada, wasn’t thrilled about losing its historic first slot and even defied the DNC by holding an unsanctioned primary before South Carolina in early 2024, where Biden still won via write-ins despite not being on the ballot.
Georgia and Michigan, both key battleground states, also secured early spots in the last overhaul, showing how electoral strategy often trumps sentiment in these decisions.
Now, any state can throw its hat in the ring for 2028, and South Carolina’s top spot isn’t guaranteed, opening the door for a real showdown.
New Hampshire is expected to fight tooth and nail to reclaim its first-in-the-nation status, touting its small size, engaged electorate, and track record of uplifting underdog candidates -- values that resonate with those who cherish grassroots democracy over party mandates.
Nevada Democrats, meanwhile, are making a hard pitch to lead off, with Hilary Barrett, the state party’s executive director, arguing in an August 2025 memo that “elevating a union-strong, diverse, highly competitive battleground state will lay the groundwork to help Democrats win back working-class voters and voters of color.”
Sure, Nevada has a case with its battleground creds, but leaning so heavily on union power and demographic checkboxes feels like a progressive checklist rather than a genuine appeal to what makes a primary fair and effective -- shouldn’t the focus be on testing candidates’ broad appeal, not just checking boxes for the DNC’s favored coalitions?
