The Democratic National Committee has moved South Carolina to the front of the 2028 presidential calendar, stripping Iowa of its long-held first-in-the-nation spot, a decision that has sparked official defiance from New Hampshire and exposed deep divisions within the party.

The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted 26, 4 on Friday to place South Carolina first, passing over bids from Nevada, Michigan, and New Hampshire. Iowa, which held the opening spot on the Democratic calendar for 56 years, was removed from the early-state lineup entirely. The full DNC is expected to formally approve the new schedule when it meets in August, but the backlash began immediately.

New Hampshire’s leaders made their position clear within hours, pointing to the state’s 106-year-old law that requires its primary to be held at least seven days before any similar contest. Secretary of State David M. Scanlan and state Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley said New Hampshire will follow its law regardless of the DNC calendar. That sets up a direct collision between state law and the national party’s timetable.

Ray Buckley did not mince words. “Today’s vote shows that many party insiders have learned nothing from 2024.” That line has been echoed around the state by New Hampshire’s congressional delegation and other local officials, who called the decision wrong for Democrats and wrong for the state.

Iowa’s Democratic leadership also reacted angrily to being sidelined. Rita Hart, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, called the process “very messy” and said it showed the national party is “out of touch with voters.” The move to sideline Iowa really picked up after 2020, and Friday’s vote makes the South Carolina-first approach permanent for 2028 and beyond.

Nationally, party officials defended the change as a move toward better representation of the Democratic coalition. For decades Iowa and New Hampshire, two small and mostly white states, set the tone for the nominating contest. South Carolina, with a larger Black voting population, was pitched as a state that better reflects the coalition Democrats aim to mobilize in general elections.

Some Democrats framed the choice in stark terms. Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb told the committee during the proceedings, “Black voters didn’t just show up for this party in 2020. They saved us… They saved our entire country from Donald Trump.” That remark summed up the argument that the early calendar should prioritize states with significant Black electorates.

Nevada pushed a competing argument based on its growing Latino population, with DNC Vice Chair Artie Blanco saying, “We win elections because we leave no voter untouched.” The committee ultimately gave South Carolina 26 of 49 votes to take the top spot, while Nevada’s exact placement on the calendar remains unsettled.

Critics point out the oddity of elevating a deeply Republican state to lead a Democratic nominating process. South Carolina currently has only one Democratic member of the U.S. House, Rep. James Clyburn, and holds limited statewide Democratic power. That raises the question of whether this calendar change serves voters or simply favors party strategists who want to shape early momentum.

Southern Democratic leaders rallied to keep South Carolina in front, sending a letter to the DNC arguing the state “provides the ultimate testing ground for candidates to forge winning coalitions” and calling it a “moral and political compass for the entire nation.” The identities of all signatories were not disclosed, but the push reflected a regional effort to control the early-playbook for candidates.

At the same time, the DNC is wrestling with internal policy fights and money problems. Progressive activists are pushing to expand ranked-choice voting for the 2028 primary, a change some members call a logistical nightmare, and the party has taken out a $15 million loan to cover operations. One anonymous DNC member dismissed the ranked-choice effort as a “pipe dream,” arguing the party has too many fires to fight right now.

Enforcement is the immediate headache. New Hampshire’s state law creates the real possibility of an unauthorized primary that the DNC refuses to recognize, and Iowa’s Democratic Party has also refused to commit to the new timetable. Republicans, by contrast, are expected to keep Iowa and New Hampshire at the front of their presidential calendar, underscoring a difference in approach between the parties.

Nevada State Party Chairwoman Daniele Monroe Moreno offered a conciliatory note amid the tensions, saying, “We have to bring this family back together.” Whether the Democratic family is interested in reuniting will be tested in the coming months as the DNC moves toward a full vote in August and states decide whether to follow the national plan. [[EMBED_*]]