The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has approved a sweeping overhaul of its 2028 presidential primary calendar, placing South Carolina first in the nominating contest and sidelining Iowa and New Hampshire, the two states that have long dominated the early stages of the race. The new schedule was endorsed at a DNC meeting on Saturday in Austin, Texas, and sets South Carolina's primary for January 22, 2028, followed by Nevada on February 1, New Hampshire on February 8, New Mexico on February 15, Michigan on February 22, and Virginia on February 29.

The restructured calendar is designed to give Black and Latino voters — as well as union members — a decisive early role in shaping the Democratic nomination. South Carolina, a state in the American South where Black voters have historically made up more than half of the Democratic primary electorate, was more pivotal than Iowa or New Hampshire in producing nominees Barack Obama in 2008, Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Joe Biden in 2020. Nevada and New Mexico, which follow immediately after, have large Latino and Hispanic populations — 31 percent and 49 percent of their residents, respectively. Michigan brings the influence of major auto industry unions, while Virginia is home to more federal workers than any other US state. DNC Chairman Ken Martin said the early states