The DNC's Rules and Bylaws panel voted to place South Carolina first in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary calendar, ahead of Nevada. Axios reports that "26 members supported South Carolina, 19 voted for Nevada and 4 backed New Hampshire for the first-place position."1
Under the order recommended by the panel, South Carolina would hold its primary on Jan. 22, 2028, followed by Nevada and then New Hampshire. Fox News reports that "South Carolina would hold its primary on Jan. 22, 2028, with Nevada going second on Feb. 1, 2028, followed by New Hampshire on Feb. 8, 2028."2 NPR similarly states that "the order recommended by the panel is South Carolina's primary, to be held on Jan. 22, 2028, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire, which are typically early voting states."3
The vote followed debate over the importance of Black voters relative to Latino voters within the Democratic coalition. NPR notes demographic data relevant to that discussion, reporting that "nearly one in four registered voters in South Carolina is Black, according to state voting data,"3 and that "according to AP Vote Cast, 83% of Black voters nationwide backed former Vice President Kamala Harris in the last presidential election."3
The decision also drew criticism from Republicans. Fox News quotes NRSC National Press Secretary Bernadette Breslin, who said, "Instead of asking themselves why voters are rejecting their socialist agenda, Democrats are denying reality and reshuffling their voting calendar."2
Coverage of this story spans the spectrum. Compare all 4 sources for differing emphasis on the internal Democratic debate versus Republican reaction.</body_markdown>
