US Democrats choose South Carolina to kick off 2028 primaries

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The US Democratic Party voted Saturday to prioritize minority-heavy states in its kick-off of 2028 presidential primaries, opening the nominating calendar in South Carolina and Nevada.

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The new schedule “truly represents our party and our values, and will help us retake the White House in 2028,” party chair Ken Martin said in a statement.

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South Carolina, a southeastern state with a large African American population, will vote on January 22, 2028. The western state of Nevada, which is more than 30 percent Latino, will follow on February 1.

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New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia round out the first six states to choose the party’s nominee for the White House race.

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The Democratic Party said the new schedule aims to test White House hopefuls by exposing them to a more diverse electorate, as well as key states in the general election.

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South Carolina played a pivotal role in Joe Biden’s successful bid for the Democratic nomination in 2020.

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After becoming president, he returned the favor by changing the rules to make South Carolina the first primary of the 2024 campaign.

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However, New Hampshire — where state law mandates that it be the first state in the country to hold a primary — defied the new rules and held its vote before South Carolina.

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To deter such actions, party officials voted on Saturday to increase penalties for states that don’t comply with the designated schedule.

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It was unclear if New Hampshire will follow the new schedule. The situation also remained uncertain for Iowa, where state law requires caucuses — an alternative form of voting — to take place before any other state.

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Compared to South Carolina or Nevada, previous earlybird voting states New Hampshire and Iowa have smaller and less diverse populations.

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Over 90 percent of New Hampshire’s population of 1.4 million is white, and 88 percent of Iowa’s population of 3.2 million is white, per the US Census.

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AFP

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