RBC Proposes Early States for 2028 Democratic Presidential Nominating Calendar

• The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) voted to select six states for the early window of the 2028 Democratic presidential nominating calendar in the following order:
  • South Carolina, January 22, 2028
  • Nevada, February 1, 2028
  • New Hampshire, February 8, 2028
  • New Mexico, February 15, 2028
  • Michigan, February 22, 2028
  • Virginia, February 29, 2028
• This calendar is rigorous, fair, and efficient. It battle-tests our nominee to ensure we can take back the White House in 2028, reflects the diversity of our party and country, and is affordable, ensuring that candidates and campaigns can compete in this race.
• The Democratic Party is unified coming out of this process with the knowledge that this calendar expands the Party’s reach and will produce a nominee that is the strongest, most battle-tested in our party’s history.
  • This calendar is the most diverse for an open contest in our party’s history. It speaks to our base, expands our electorate, and listens to the voters who have felt they have been left out in the past.
• This calendar was decided by an RBC that is a more diverse and democratic committee than it’s ever been before as a result of historic reforms by Chair Martin.
• The RBC was expanded prior to beginning this process, with many members chosen directly by the DNC’s caucuses and councils for the first time ever – ensuring that voices from all across our party and country were represented in this decision.

Background on Early Calendar:

• Battletesting Our Candidates: This calendar battle-tests our nominee with key battleground states and a range of voters needed to to win back the White House.
  • Key battleground states are prominently featured in the early window with both Michigan and Nevada.
  • Other early window states feature competitive races and swing voter populations with Virginia, New Mexico, South Carolina, and New Hampshire.
• Comprehensive Test with Diverse Voters: This is the most diverse early window in an open contest in our party’s history. The calendar massively increases diverse representation from 2020, requiring candidates to prove they can win every kind of voter needed to take back the White House.
  • Black Voters: 4.6 million Black people live in the early window states, an increase of 160% from 2020.
  • Latino Voters: 4.2 million Latinos live in the early window states, a 140% increase from 2020.
  • AANHPI Voters: 1.4 million Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Americans live in the early window states, an increase of 180% from 2020.
  • Native American Voters: 370k Native Americans live in the early window states, a 330% increase from 2020.
  • Non-college Voters: 14 million Americans in the early window states do not have a college degree, a 125% increase from 2020.
  • Young Voters: More than 2.8 million young (18-24) people live in the early window states, a 135% increase from 2020.
  • Union Voters: More than 1.1 million union workers live in the early window states, a more than 170% increase from 2020.
  • Veterans/Military Voters: More than 2.1 million veteran and military voters live in the early window states, a 130% increase from 2020.
  • This calendar also amplifies Black and Southern voices, a critical base of the Democratic Party that is especially important post-Callais ruling.
• Keeping the Contest Competitive and Affordable: The early window is competitive  and affordable – ensuring candidates can efficiently use resources and voters are the ones choosing our 2028 nominee.
  • The earliest portion of the window creates a competitive race and does not box out any candidates based solely on warchest and name ID.
  • South Carolina has a very affordable media market, with among the lowest average estimated weekly ad cost of any of the early states.
  • Both South Carolina and New Hampshire are geographically compact states, making travel more affordable and accessible.
  • The relatively inexpensive Reno media market serves the vast majority of Nevadans outside of the Las Vegas media market.

Additional Information

• The RBC was required to pick between four and six states, including at least one from each of the DNC’s four geographic regions.
• RBC could only select among the states which applied for the early window. Those 12 states were: Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
• The RBC’s decision comes after many months of careful planning and deliberation by the RBC, including:
  • Deliberately chosen criteria for selection and an open application process
  • Thoughtful consideration of applications and presentations by states
  • Thorough review of the rules for the process

The RBC’s decision will now be put before the full DNC for a vote at the DNC’s summer meeting, August 13-15.