I VOTED stickers being arranged at Manchester High School on the morning of the Democratic Primary. (Tyler Russell/Connecticut Public via Getty Images)
Democrats voted Saturday to shake up their presidential primary calendar, creating a new route for any candidate eyeing the White House in 2028. The new calendar is expected to give Black and Latino voters, as well as union members, a bigger impact on who the nominee will be.
Big picture view:
The proposal passed by the Democratic National Committee lays out the schedule for the first six states on the primary calendar. New Hampshire, the state that traditionally kicks off the primary season, drops to third in the new schedule, while Iowa, which has recently caucused before the Granite State, is nowhere to be seen.
Voters in South Carolina will get the first chance to weigh in on who will represent Democrats in November. The state, which provided a much-needed boost to Joe Biden during the 2020 primaries, moves to the front of the pack, and voters will head to the polls on Saturday, January 22, 2028.
What they're saying:
"The DNC has delivered a 2028 nominating calendar that truly represents our party and our values, and will help us retake the White House in 2028," DNC Chair Ken Martin wrote in a statement outlining the changes. "I applaud the Rules and Bylaws Committee for their commitment to a transparent and fair selection process, which led to this rigorous, fair, and efficient early window."
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Timeline:
Following South Carolina’s primary, candidates will have about a week and a half to regroup before the battle heads west to Nevada. When voters there cast their ballots on Tuesday, February 1, 2028, they will begin a five-week run of weekly primaries.
The backstory:
Democrats claim the new schedule is designed to battle-test the candidates and point out that the calendar includes two states that they believe are important to their chances of retaking the White House: Nevada and Michigan. Among the six states on the calendar, only South Carolina has not been competitive in recent elections.
The other states offer chances for the candidates to make their cases in front of a diverse range of voters, the party explained, noting that some of those states also have down ballot races that Democrats consider key.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and Democratic National Committee. This story was reported from Orlando.