Powerful members of the Democratic National Committee will soon decide how states will be chosen to be among the first to vote in the 2028 presidential primaries, moving the party closer to one of the most important decisions it will make in the coming years.
CBS News has learned that at a meeting later this month, the party's influential rules and bylaws panel will focus on the application process to be among the first handful of states to hold a Democratic presidential nominating contest.
Earning one of these prized slots is likely to bring about outsized power in the political process. With that influence comes major attention from candidates, a potential economic boost and the chance to play a role in how Democrats message and campaign on major topics and issues as the party tries to find a path forward after stinging losses in last year's presidential election.
A source familiar with the calendar efforts detailed the materials written by the co-chairs of the party's rules and bylaws panel, including a draft resolution and request for proposal, were shared Friday with members. At the late October meeting, members will have a chance to revise and vote on the work.
The resolution outlines standards, which according to the source, cover the following:
- "Rigorousness: the lineup of early states must be a comprehensive test of candidates with diverse groups of voters that are key to winning the general election;
- Efficiency: the lineup of early states must be affordable and practical for candidates and not exhaust their resources, precluding them from effectively participating in future contests;
- Fairness: the practical ability to run a fair, transparent and inclusive primary or caucus."
The plans call for four or five states to be chosen by DNC members to hold a nominating contest in what's known as the "early window," which comes before states begin voting in large numbers on Super Tuesday and the weeks afterwards. Under the draft, each of the four regions being focused on by the DNC, the East, Midwest, South and West, would need to have at least one state from its respective areas be chosen.
The work comes after Democrats overhauled the early voting calendar during Joe Biden's time as president, jettisoning the Iowa caucuses from being the first state to have its say on a presidential nominee. Party leaders followed Biden's push to instead install South Carolina, whose primary revived his 2020 presidential primary campaign, in the top voting spot instead.
New Hampshire, where Mr. Biden had struggled to a fifth place primary finish in 2020, was given the chance to remain an early voting state but was moved down to sharing its primary day with Nevada. The general election presidential battleground states of Georgia and Michigan were selected to round out the list.
The perceived pushback against New Hampshire was derided by Democrats from the state, who have a tradition of intensely defending its first-in-the-nation primary status and have a state law to help it try and do so.
In early 2024, the state held a primary outside of the DNC process before South Carolina voted, resulting in Mr. Biden's not filing in New Hampshire's contest. Allies, however, rallied behind a robust write-in campaign for him in New Hampshire. Mr. Biden easily won without his name even being on the ballot, which calmed tensions between first-in-the-nation advocates and Biden supporters.
Any state can apply for the early window slots. While South Carolina was the first DNC approved primary last year, it's not certain it will be picked to start the calendar again. While the southern state is reliably red in general elections, Mr. Biden's view, as shared in a 2022 letter, invoked South Carolina's diversity when he urged DNC members to "ensure that voters of color have a voice in choosing our nominee much earlier in the process and throughout the entire early window."
New Hampshire is expected to try to regain its place as the first 2028 DNC primary state with a pitch that can be made about the state's tradition, small size, voter engagement and ability for unexpected candidates to succeed. Democrats in Nevada however are also already making a case that the presidential battleground state out West should go first instead.
In an August memo, Nevada State Democratic Party Executive Director Hilary Barrett argued 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. If we fail to rebuild that coalition, we won't win back the White House."
There's potential that Michigan, a state crucial to Democrats' chances of winning the presidency, could rise to the top slot, given the party's hope that early primary attention and investments may help a Democratic presidential candidate carry the state's electoral votes in 2028.
