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The United States (US) Democratic Party has voted to open its 2028 presidential primary calendar in South Carolina and Nevada, prioritising states with large minority populations.
Under the new schedule, South Carolina will hold its primary on January 22, 2028, followed by Nevada on February 1.
New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia will complete the first six states to select their preferred Democratic presidential candidate.
Democratic Party Chair Ken Martin said the new calendar better reflects the party’s diversity and could strengthen its chances of returning to the White House.
“The new schedule truly represents our party and our values, and will help us retake the White House in 2028,” Martin said.
The party said the changes are designed to expose presidential hopefuls to a wider range of voters while giving them early experience in states considered important in the general election.
South Carolina, which has a large African American population, played a key role in Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign and helped revive his bid for the Democratic nomination.
Biden later changed the party’s rules to make South Carolina the first primary state for the 2024 election cycle.
However, New Hampshire challenged the arrangement because state law requires it to hold the first primary in the country.
It eventually voted before South Carolina in 2024.
To prevent a repeat, Democratic officials have approved tougher penalties for states that fail to follow the party’s approved calendar.
It remains unclear whether New Hampshire will accept the new schedule.
Iowa could also pose a challenge because state law requires it to hold caucuses before other states.
The party’s decision shifts the early focus away from Iowa and New Hampshire, which have smaller and less diverse populations.
More than 90 percent of New Hampshire’s 1.4 million residents are white, while about 88 percent of Iowa’s 3.2 million residents are white, according to US Census data.
