Democrats Launch 2028 Presidential Race from South Carolina

The US Democratic Party voted in favor of launching the 2028 presidential primary elections in states with high minority populations, with voting set to begin in South Carolina and Nevada. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin stated in a press release that the new schedule “reflects our party and our values and will help us regain the White House in 2028.”

The first primary to select the party’s presidential nominee will be held on January 22 in South Carolina, which has a large African American population, followed by Nevada in February, where Latinos make up more than 30% of the population. New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan, and Virginia complete the list of the first six states to choose the Democratic nominee for the White House race.

The party emphasized that the new schedule aims to test potential presidential contenders by exposing them to a more diverse voter base, as well as to states that are pivotal in elections. South Carolina played a crucial role in Joe Biden’s successful campaign to secure the Democratic nomination in 2020. After taking office, Biden repaid the favor by changing the rules to make South Carolina the first state to hold primaries in 2024.

However, New Hampshire, whose laws require it to be the first state to organize primaries, defied the new rules and held its vote before South Carolina. To avoid a similar scenario, Democratic officials decided to impose stricter penalties on states that do not adhere to the established schedule.

Compared to South Carolina or Nevada, New Hampshire and Iowa have smaller and less diverse populations. According to US Census data, whites make up more than 90% of New Hampshire’s population of 1.4 million, while the figure stands at 88% in Iowa, which has a population of 3.2 million.