Will South Carolina Dems Retain First Presidential Primary of 2028?

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by MARK POWELL

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The 2026 midterm elections are still over a year away, but it’s the 2028 presidential primary cycle that Democrats are most keenly interested in at the moment.

Later this month, the Democratic National Committee (DNC)’s powerful rules and bylaws committee will meet to determine which state gets the coveted honor of kicking off the 2028 election cycle. As that battle is joined, it comes with memories of 2024’s debacle still fresh in Democrats’ memories.

For decades, there was an established order to the start of the presidential selection process. It began with the Iowa caucuses, followed by New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary. South Carolina’s first-in-the-South primary came next, with Nevada wrapping up the presidential ‘first four.’

As progressives began making inroads within the party organization, though, they began clamoring that Iowa and New Hampshire were “too white” to be entrusted with such influence over the Democrat nominating process. Plus, Joe Biden’s campaign didn’t relish launching his reelection bid in states that had been lukewarm to him at the polls in the past.

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So, the Hawkeye and Granite States were each stripped of their honors. While it was a blow to each’s pride, it was also legally problematic for New Hampshire – whose state constitution mandates that its primary must be held first. Period.

A farce ensued with Iowa Democrats staging a novel “write-in” caucus with the results announced later in the schedule. New Hampshire Democrats scheduled their primary first as usual – and swiftly saw the state’s convention delegates stripped by the DNC as a result.

The upshot of all this internecine squabbling was that South Carolina was awarded the first officially sanctioned Democratic primary, thanks in no small part to congressman James Clyburn’s substantial influence behind the scenes. The result? Biden won in a North Korean-style landslide, just as the Democrat powerbrokers envisioned.

Of course, those “Ridin’ with Biden” soon found themselves behind the wheel of a broken down, abandoned lemon.

The incumbent president easily won his party’s nomination – but was forced out by nervous Democrat elites after his disastrous debate with Donald Trump. Democrat leaders were worried concerns over Biden’s advanced age and obvious infirmities – which had been carefully concealed by a supplicant mainstream media for years – would drag the entire party to defeat in November.

Thus, Biden became the only candidate in American history to drop out of a presidential race after securing his party’s nomination.

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Democrats’ gambit failed… bigly. And that failure is foremost in their minds as they look to line up the states ahead of the next presidential primary in 2028. It may seem too early to draft a primary calendar, but Democrats are chomping at the bit to avenge Kamala Harris’ defeat last November – meaning campaigning for 2028 will be in full force during the 2026 cycle.

Reports suggest the committee is considering a plan where four or five states would participate in what it calls an “early window.” At its late October meeting, the committee will reportedly focus on a resolution that outlines selection standards covering the following:  

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• 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.”  

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How does the Palmetto State figure into all this? That’s a good question. But you can bet South Carolina Democrats will be doing their best to influence developments in their favor…

A perpetual minority party at home (holding zero statewide offices, zero U.S. Senate seats, one of seven congressional districts and super-minority status in both chambers of the S.C. General Assembly), Democrats in the Palmetto State rely on their early-voting position to retain relevance and build the party apparatus.

What happens if they lose that honor? We could be on the verge of finding out…

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.

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