The Democratic National Committee just made a scheduling choice that screams "we already picked our favorite" louder than a toddler with a megaphone. The Rules and Bylaws Committee voted Friday to recommend that South Carolina kick off the 2028 presidential primary season, a move that would conveniently give Kamala Harris a massive home court advantage, as Trending Politics reported.
The vote wasn't even particularly close. South Carolina grabbed 26 votes, while Nevada picked up 19, and poor New Hampshire limped in with just 4. Somewhere in Iowa, a corn farmer is still waiting by the phone hoping someone remembers they exist.
If the full DNC gives this the green light at their gathering next month, the Palmetto State would host its primary on January 22, 2028. Nevada would follow on February 1, then New Hampshire on February 8, New Mexico on February 15, Michigan on February 22, and Virginia wrapping things up on February 29. That's six states in the early window now, because apparently four or five just wasn't enough drama.
This whole reshuffling continues a trend that started with the 2024 cycle. For roughly half a century before that, Iowa's caucuses opened the nominating process, a tradition dating back to 1972. New Hampshire had clung to its "first in the nation" bragging rights like a cat on a curtain. Those days are apparently over, and nobody seems to be losing sleep about it except the people in those states.
Back in December 2022, Joe Biden pushed a plan putting South Carolina at the front of the line for 2024. The full committee rubber stamped that calendar in February 2023. So this would be two cycles in a row with South Carolina leading off, while Iowa sits outside looking in like a kid who didn't get invited to the birthday party.
Here's where it gets politically juicy. South Carolina's Democratic primary voters have historically been around 55 to 61 percent Black. In 2020, Black voters made up roughly 56 percent of primary participants. That demographic reality is basically a welcome mat for any candidate who performs well with Black voters.
Enter Kamala Harris. In the 2024 general election, approximately 86 percent of Black voters supported her. Pre-election surveys in swing states showed similar numbers in the low to mid 80s. Going first in a state where your strongest supporters make up the majority of the electorate? That's not a leg up, that's practically being carried on a throne.
Meanwhile, other potential 2028 hopefuls like Pete Buttigieg have polled decently with the broader Democratic electorate but have struggled significantly to connect with Black voters. Starting the race in South Carolina would be like entering a swimming competition when you haven't learned to float yet.
A dozen states apparently lobbied for that coveted first spot. South Carolina's backers pointed to its track record of running smooth contests and its ability to set primary dates without legislative chaos. Nevada touted its growing Latino population, while New Hampshire waved around its longstanding traditions like vintage baseball cards nobody wants to buy anymore.
So there you have it. The DNC is stacking the deck, and everyone can see the cards.
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