The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is already preparing for the 2028 presidential primaries, with an eye toward taking back the White House.
The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee on Monday approved a proposal permitting states to apply for the early nominating period until Jan. 16, 2026, in the pre-Super Tuesday voting period, when a large number of delegates are distributed ahead of the DNC.
“As we go through this process, the real question we face is asking each state why including them in the early window, prewindow period, helps us elect a Democratic president and win the election,” committee member Stuart Appelbaum said during the meeting on Monday. “That is the prime criteria that we will be looking at in making our decision.”
Under this framework, four or five states will garner early placements for the 2028 presidential election, with mandatory representation from each of the nation’s four major regions—the East, Midwest, South, and West—in order to ensure representation across demographics.
While these first contests may not feature a large share of delegates, they have in the past been key in party leadership races, giving candidates significant exposure through campaigning in the states and the media coverage that has historically come along with it, as well as candidates having to engage in so-called “retail politics” by interacting directly with voters.
“We are committed to executing a fair and transparent process that will deliver a battle-tested nominee who will win back the White House for Democrats,” the committee co-chairs, Minyon Moore and James Roosevelt Jr., said in a joint statement.
States must submit proposals in which they explain how they can host efficient, fair, and rigorous primaries or caucuses ahead of Super Tuesday, when a large bloc of delegates is awarded, often determining election frontrunners.
“Rigor entails a comprehensive test of candidates with diverse groups of voters that are key to winning general elections. Fairness means the lineup must be affordable and practicable for candidates and not exhaust state’s resources. And efficiency refers to the state’s practical ability to schedule and run a fair, transparent and inclusive primary or caucus,” the proposal says.
The initial states in an election cycle can carry an outsized influence. For instance, in the 2020 cycle, South Carolina’s primary helped Joe Biden’s flailing bid with significant support from black voters.
“Clearly, the most reliable constituency of the Democratic Party are black voters, and they will have a prominent role in the selection of our nominee,” Chairman Ken Martin said during the committee’s summer meeting in August. “And whether it’s South Carolina or some other states, rest assured that making sure that there’s a state in the mix that actually will battle test your nominee with African American voters is really critical to making sure we can win in November.”
The 2024 calendar, redone at Biden’s request, placed South Carolina first, added Georgia and Michigan, and removed Iowa after a 2020 reporting fiasco.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
And whether it’s South Carolina or some other states, rest assured that making sure that there’s a state in the mix that actually will battle test your nominee with African American voters is really critical to making sure we can win in November.”
They just can’t help themselves… gotta bring race into everything.
So what if the RNC did the same, you can BET THE LEFT would say that’s threatening democracy.