COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Democratic state party chairs of five southern states on Thursday urged the Democratic National Committee to keep South Carolina as the first-in-the-nation primary state for the 2028 presidential election, casting the state as both a political proving ground and a moral touchstone for the party.
The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, was signed by the chairs of the Democratic parties of five southern states. They called on party leaders “to do everything in your power to ensure South Carolina continues to serve as the indispensable first proving ground for Democratic presidential nominees.”
The push comes as the DNC debates the calendar for the 2028 primaries. South Carolina held the first-in-the-nation slot in 2024 after President Joe Biden pushed for the change, a move that elevated the state’s racially diverse primary over the traditional early contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.
In the letter, the chairs argued that South Carolina “is not simply a geographic starting point. It is a moral and political compass for our party and our nation.” They said the state’s electorate — which includes a significant share of Black voters, working-class voters, and suburban voters — forces candidates to build the broad coalition required to win a general election.
The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee is expected to set the 2028 calendar in the coming months. The five state chairs urged the committee to preserve the South Carolina-first arrangement, contending that it best positions the party to nominate a candidate who can appeal to the full Democratic base.