The Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin and DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee co-Chair Minyon Moore announced the first steps for the party’s early presidential primary calendar. The presidential calendar process starts today, with meetings planned throughout the fall, winter, and spring to ensure a rigorous, effective, and fair calendar. The Rules and Bylaws Committee will convene next month to discuss and adopt a resolution formalizing a process for states to submit applications to move in the early window in 2028.
Democrats are bracing for another potentially chaotic early state nominating process for the party’s presidential primary calendar. South Carolina was the first state in the Democratic contest in the last cycle, after then-President Biden pressed the party to have it take the pole position. New Hampshire and Nevada held their contests at the same time in that cycle, while Iowa was pushed out of its first-state role.
Democrats in the early states are already jockeying to be among the first few early primary states in the Democratic presidential nominating process ahead of 2028. Some Iowa Democrats have left the door open to going “rogue” — going first in the calendar even if they are not selected to go first. It’s unclear how New Hampshire Democrats and the national party will reconcile with New Hampshire state law, which mandates that the Granite State hold the first primary.
