DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee votes to recommend South Carolina as first state in 2028 Democratic presidential primary

The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted Friday to recommend that South Carolina hold the nation’s first 2028 Democratic presidential nominating contest, according to CBS News Politics. The action places the proposal into the DNC’s internal next-step process for determining the party’s early primary calendar.

The committee vote comes as the party looks ahead to the 2028 presidential nomination timeline, where early state contests can shape how campaigns allocate staffing and resources and how quickly national campaigns consolidate support. If adopted through the DNC’s procedures, South Carolina’s early position would make it the first state to vote or otherwise participate in the Democratic presidential nominating process for the 2028 cycle.

The committee’s recommendation is not the final determination by itself, and DNC rules typically require further action after committee-level consideration. CBS News reported the committee’s vote as a recommendation, indicating that additional approvals and procedural steps would be needed before the state is definitively scheduled as first.

Under the Democratic presidential nominating process, the order of early contests has practical effects for election administration and candidate operations. Earlier contests can affect state and local election preparations, including ballot design work, election-day staffing, and coordination with parties and candidates for events and compliance planning.

For campaigns, first-in-the-nation positioning can increase the volume of media coverage and the urgency of candidate decision-making during the earliest phase of the nomination cycle. It can also influence where candidates choose to spend time first, since early results can be used by campaigns and political organizations to gauge voter support and fundraising momentum.

The South Carolina proposal is expected to be considered within the DNC’s governance structure after the Rules and Bylaws Committee’s action. If the recommendation proceeds and the party finalizes the 2028 calendar with South Carolina as first, it would mark another significant shift in the party’s front-loaded nomination sequence.

The DNC’s next steps, including whether additional committees or party procedures are triggered, will determine whether the proposed order becomes official for 2028. Until the process is completed, the committee’s vote remains a recommendation rather than a confirmed, final state schedule.