Democrats pick South Carolina for first primary of 2028 in possible boost to Kamala Harris, dethroning Iowa and New Hampshire

WASHINGTON — Democrats took a big step Friday toward making South Carolina the first state to hold its presidential primary in the 2028 cycle, potentially handing former Vice President Kamala Harris a big early advantage should she launch a third White House bid.The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws panel gave the Palmetto State the nod to go first with 26 votes, followed by Nevada (19 votes) and longtime first-in-the-nation primary state New Hampshire (4 votes).Friday’s committee vote is expected to be approved next month by the full DNC, formalizing the calendar.Democratic activists had pushed hard in recent years for more diverse states to go first with their nominating contests rather than predominently white Iowa and New Hampshire.Then-President Joe Biden successfully pushed for South Carolina to lead the calendar in 2024 after his victory there four years earlier propelled him to the Democratic nomination.The predominently black primary electorate in that state is expected to favor Harris, the first woman of color to be vice president.Earlier Friday, the committee picked six states to hold early primaries, with Michigan, New Mexico and Virginia joining the top three vote-getters.All six states will hold their nominating contests before Super Tuesday, giving each significant influence over who will be the Democrats’ next presidential nominee.Republicans still need to finalize their calendar but are expected to stick with the traditional early-state lineup, starting with the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.This is a developing story.

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