The Democratic Party has locked in its presidential primary schedule for 2028, and the new lineup puts states with large and diverse populations at the very start of the nominating process. Members of the Democratic National Committee gave their final sign off on Saturday to six early voting states. South Carolina, a state with a significant Black population, will once again be the first to vote, kicking off the party’s nominating contests on January 22, 2028.
Nevada, a key battleground state in the west, follows just days later on February 1. After that comes New Hampshire on February 8, New Mexico on February 15, Michigan on February 22, and finally Virginia on February 29. Notably absent from this early group is Iowa, which has been dropped from the lineup entirely.
Why Nevada and New Mexico Matter
The decision to place Nevada and New Mexico among the earliest contests wasn’t random. Both states have sizable Latino populations, a voting bloc that gained fresh political significance after President Trump made noticeable gains with Latino voters during the 2024 election.
By frontloading these states, Democrats are signalling they want their eventual nominee tested early with this demographic.
Party Leadership Weighs In
DNC Chairman Ken Martin spoke with CNN about the new calendar, describing it as the most diverse in the party’s history. He explained that the lineup is designed to battle test the party’s future nominee against key segments of the Democratic coalition and important regions of the country in ways the party hasn’t attempted before.
A Vote That Comes at a Tense Moment
Saturday’s vote wrapped up the DNC’s summer meeting, and it landed in the middle of a midterm primary season marked by real tension within the party. Democratic voters have been split between backing progressive insurgents and more moderate candidates, an internal debate over the party’s direction that is likely to carry over into the crowded race for the White House.
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Martin, who has faced his own share of criticism over how he’s led the DNC and managed its finances, pushed back against the idea that these ideological splits should divide the party as it heads toward the high stakes midterm elections in November, which will determine which party controls Congress.
Speaking to the DNC’s women’s caucus on the opening day of the meeting Thursday, Martin described the Democrats as a big tent party and said that as long as he remains chair, that’s how things will stay.