"Democrats move Va. up to 6th state for presidential primary"

Michael Martz at the Richmond Times-Dispatch with the reaction in the commonwealth to Virginia's inclusion in the Democrats' early window for 2028:

"Virginia voters won't have to wait until Super Tuesday to pick a Democratic presidential candidate in 2028.

"The Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee proposed Virginia as the sixth state on the early presidential primary calendar in 2028, with the election scheduled on Feb. 29 — leap day. It will follow Democratic presidential primaries in South Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Michigan under the calendar that the committee adopted on Friday.

"The decision means that Virginia won't have to compete with other states for the attention of presidential candidates, as it did on Super Tuesday in early March."

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The reaction from Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Lamont Bagby: 

"We are appreciative of the Rules and Bylaws Committee's decision to recommend that Virginia receive a waiver to become an early primary state in the upcoming Presidential primary calendar. Virginia reflects the diversity. priorities, and experiences of voters across the country.

"Virginia voters have a long history of testing and then electing exceptional leaders. We will now have the opportunity to do that in an early and influential Democratic Presidential primary and that will help set the stage to elect a Democratic President."

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Related at FHQ Plus (subscription)...

The Annotated 2028 Presidential Primary Calendar 

Tracking the evolution of the timeline of delegate selection events that will determine the next presidential nominees

"Michigan Selected for Early Window of DNC’s 2028 Primary Calendar"

Michigan Democratic Party press release:

"Today, the Democratic National Committee announced that Michigan was selected by the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee to hold its primary election in the early window of the 2028 presidential primary calendar. In response, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel shared the following statement:

“'The road to the White House runs through Michigan, and we are proud to be in the early window of the 2028 presidential primary calendar. Michigan is the most diverse battleground state in the nation, and a candidate who can win here can win nationwide. We thank the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee for recognizing Michigan’s importance, and we look forward to ensuring Michigan voters make their voices heard. So goes Michigan, so goes the nation.'”

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Noteworthy: Currently, the Michigan presidential primary is scheduled by state law for the fourth Tuesday in February. That falls on February 22, 2028, the date the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee slotted the state into on the party's 2028 presidential primary calendar.

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The Annotated 2028 Presidential Primary Calendar 

Tracking the evolution of the timeline of delegate selection events that will determine the next presidential nominees

"National Democratic committee recommends New Mexico move up on the calendar for presidential primary"

Joshua Bowling at Source NM has the latest on one of the new states added to the Democrats' 2028 presidential primary calendar:

"The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee on Friday voted to catapult New Mexico’s 2028 presidential primary election to fourth in the country.

...

"In a statement Friday, Lujan Grisham said she appreciated the DNC committee members taking her pitch seriously.

“'For years, I’ve said the same thing: you cannot show up for Hispanic voters in November after Democrats have already picked a nominee. You have to engage with them from the start. Today, national Democrats agreed,' she wrote. 'New Mexico is the most Hispanic state in America, and we’re the only border state in this early window. Now, candidates who want to be taken seriously on immigration and the border are going to have to come to New Mexico and earn it.'

“'Making New Mexico an early primary state will help put our state on the national stage, increase investment in our communities, expand our tourism economy and give New Mexicans a stronger voice in shaping the policies of our nation,' Lujan Grisham said."

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Noteworthy: The New Mexico presidential primary, consolidated with those for other offices, is currently scheduled for June 6, 2028. State government is under unified Democratic control and will have to change state law to accommodate the shift to February. Recent efforts -- in 2015 and 2020 -- to move the primary have failed, the former to move the entire consolidated primary from June to March and the latter to create a separate presidential primary election in January. It remains to be seen which route of the two decision makers in the Land of Enchantment will pursue in their efforts to meet the criteria of the rules handed down by the Rules and Bylaws Committee (and ultimately the DNC).

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Related at FHQ Plus (subscription)...

The Annotated 2028 Presidential Primary Calendar 

Tracking the evolution of the timeline of delegate selection events that will determine the next presidential nominees

"New Hampshire politicians defiant after DNC picks South Carolina for first-in-the-nation presidential primary"

Steven Porter at the Boston Globe on New Hampshire Democrats now staring down a conflict between state law and DNC rules that now slot the Granite state presidential primary third:

"New Hampshire politicians from both major parties reacted with outrage and defiance on Friday after an influential rulemaking body of the Democratic National Committee selected South Carolina to host first party-approved primary on the 2028 presidential nominating calendar, once again bumping New Hampshire.

"The DNC’s plan, which seems poised for final approval in August, calls for New Hampshire to vote third, after Nevada. But that would contradict a state law that requires New Hampshire’s top election official to schedule the state-run presidential primary to occur at least seven days before any similar election.

"New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan, a Republican, said the state will follow its law and maintain a first-in-the-nation tradition that has endured for more than a century. In other words, Granite Staters will hold their primary vote first in 2028 regardless of what the DNC’s calendar says, just as they did in the 2024 cycle."

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New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley's statement on the Rules and Bylaws Committee decision: 

Today's vote shows that many party insiders have learned nothing from 2024. New Hampshire has a proven track record of testing our candidates with a rigorous, fair, and efficient process, yet those qualities did not prevail. This committee's vote does not change the realities governing New Hampshire's primary, which are beyond the control of both this committee and our state party. Democrats' guiding North Star should be winning general elections, and New Hampshire Democrats will get back to work focusing on the 2026 elections and addressing the significant challenges facing America's overwhelmed working class. Today's vote moves the party further away from that objective.

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New Hampshire's all-Democratic congressional delegation also weighed in: 

The Democratic National Committee's decision today is wrong for Democrats, wrong for New Hampshire, and wrong for the country. New Hampshire's First in the Nation primary is a tested proving ground in a closely contested swing state that forges better candidates and better presidents -- and despite what DNC insiders say, that hasn't changed. As a state with highly engaged voters, we put candidates through their paces and thoroughly vet them. And our small size means that actually meeting and talking to voters takes precedence over super PACs or mega-donor-fueled campaigns. Regardless of today's vote, Granite Staters remain committed to the hard work of organizing and electing candidates who stand up for our Live Free or Die values.

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Related at FHQ Plus (subscription)...

Democrats devise their own super penalty for primary calendar violations 

The Rules and Bylaws Committee adopted new enhanced penalties to punish states and candidates who break timing rules in 2028

"Nevada Democrats won't vote for president first in 2028. Here's what it means."

Mini Racker at the Nevada Independent on Nevada's place on the 2028 Democratic presidential primary calendar:

"Despite a hard-fought campaign to host the first presidential primary of 2028, Nevada Democrats lost out to South Carolina after a powerful Democratic National Committee panel voted on Friday. The state is instead scheduled to host the second early primary on Feb. 1, 2028.

"It's a major disappointment for Nevada proponents who looked forward to the Silver State getting intense attention from Democratic presidential candidates and an outsized role in setting the political agenda in the coming cycle."

...

"Nevada lost out on the opportunity by a vote of 26 to 19, with four members of the committee voting for New Hampshire. Many of Nevada's supporters were younger, newer members of the committee and those from Western states. Opponents raised concerns about Nevada's ability to name a winner on primary night, though Nevadans on the panel argued election reforms would address those worries."

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The reaction from the Nevada Democratic Party: 

Nevada State Democratic Party Chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno released the following statement in response to the Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws Committee recommending Nevada be Democrats’ first presidential primary in the West:

“We’ve been consistent all along, putting Nevada first best sets our party up for success. Nevada is the broad coalition of diverse voices—Latino, Black, AANHPI, and Native American as well as white working-class voters—our party must win back if we’re serious about flipping the White House in 2028.

“As an early state and the first true test of a candidate’s ability to win in a general election, we will play a critical role in the nomination process.”

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Related at FHQ Plus (subscription)...

The Annotated 2028 Presidential Primary Calendar 

Tracking the evolution of the timeline of delegate selection events that will determine the next presidential nominees

"South Carolina to be first-in-the-nation for Democrats’ 2028 presidential primary calendar"

Caitlin Byrd at the Post and Courier looks at South Carolina's selection as the nation's first Democratic contest in 2028 from the Palmetto state:

"The road to the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination will begin in South Carolina.

"The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted July 24 to place the Palmetto State first on its 2028 nominating calendar, giving its voters the initial say in what is expected to be a sprawling and competitive primary.

"Before the vote, South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain framed the state’s early-primary role as essential to the party’s broader ambitions in a region it has struggled to win.

“'The South is not the past. It is the future,' Spain told the committee. 'And if we are serious about changing this country, Democrats have to start winning in the South.'"

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South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain on the selection: 

South Carolina Democrats are grateful to the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee for again selecting South Carolina to lead off the 2028 Democratic presidential primary. This decision demonstrates our party’s commitment to competing in the South and recognizes the importance of black and rural voters in shaping the Democratic Party’s future. Additionally, the committee valued our flexibility in setting the primary date and the certainty of conducting a well-run primary.

This moment belongs to the volunteers, organizers, county parties, activists, and candidates who have worked tirelessly to build our party and ensure every voice is heard. Time and time again, South Carolina Democrats have shown that we know how to choose a presidential nominee who can unite our party and win in November.

The process to determine which states will go early in the primary calendar has been extremely competitive, and we are honored to join five additional diverse states that together will lead our nominating process and deliver the strongest, most competitive nominee in 2028 that will deliver for working families across this country. Together, we are ready to deliver for the Democratic Party and the American people.

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Related at FHQ Plus (subscription)...

The Annotated 2028 Presidential Primary Calendar 

Tracking the evolution of the timeline of delegate selection events that will determine the next presidential nominees

"DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee Proposes Early States for 2028 Democratic Presidential Nominating Calendar"

DNC press release:

Committee members highlighted the calendar’s ability to battle-test the field of candidates with a rigorous, fair, and efficient mix of early states.

Today, at the July meeting of the Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC), the RBC voted to select six states for the early window of the 2028 Democratic presidential nominating calendar: South Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan, and Virginia. At the meeting, the RBC voted to issue the waivers to each of the six early window states, inviting them to hold nominating contests prior to Super Tuesday 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

RBC Co-Chairs Minyon Moore and James Roosevelt, Jr. released the following statement:

“The Rules and Bylaws Committee has proposed a rigorous, fair, and efficient calendar that will win Democrats back the White House in 2028. After months of hard work and deliberation, we are very proud of the calendar that the RBC has put forward — which is also the most diverse calendar Democrats have ever had for an open nominating contest. We look forward to presenting the proposal to our colleagues across the DNC for their approval in a few weeks.”

DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement:

“I commend the RBC for their diligent work and commitment to a fair and transparent selection process. As a result of their hard work, today, Democrats took a critical step toward retaking the White House in 2028 by ensuring we have the strongest possible nominee.”

Additional Context on the Early Window Process:

• During the meeting, RBC members debated the potential early window options and ultimately determined that the six states selected best fit the goals laid out by the committee: a rigorous, fair, and efficient calendar that will produce the strongest possible nominee to win back the White House.
• The RBC also chose to amend the Committee’s previously adopted resolution on the Principles and Procedures for Review of the 2028 Democratic Party Presidential Primary Calendar. The amended resolution allowed them to select a sixth state for the early window, instead of only 4 or 5. Members explained this change was a reflection of the numerous strong applications and their goal to create the best early window possible from their available options.
• The RBC’s decision will now be put before the full DNC for a vote at the DNC’s summer meeting, August 13-15.
• 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 full meeting was livestreamed and can be found on the DNC’s YouTube page here.

Background on Selected States:

• Battle-testing Our Candidates: The early window delivers on RBC’s goal of a battle-tested nominee both with key battleground states and tests with a comprehensive range of voters key to winning back the White House.
• Key battleground states are prominently featured in the early window with both Nevada and Michigan.
• Other early window states feature competitive downballot races and swing voter populations with New Hampshire, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Virginia.
• Comprehensive Test with Diverse Voters: The early window provides a comprehensive test with diverse groups of voters that are key to winning a general election. In fact, it is the most diverse open field early window in Democratic Party history, massively increasing diverse representation from 2020 early window states.
• Black Voters: 4.6 million Black people live in the early window states, an increase of 2.8 million.
• Latino Voters: 4.2 million Latinos live in the early window states, an increase of 2.4 million.
• AANHPI Voters: 1.4 million Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Americans live in the early window states, an increase of 900k.
• Native American Voters: 370k Native Americans live in the early window states, an increase of 280k.
• Non-college Voters: 14 million Americans in the early window states do not have a college degree, an increase of 7.7 million.
• Young Voters: More than 2.8 million young (18-24) people live in the early window states, an increase of more than 1.6 million.
• Union Voters: More than 1.1 million union workers live in the early window states, an increase of more than 700k.
• Veterans/Military Voters: More than 2.1 million veteran and military voters live in the early window states, an increase of more than 1.2 million.
• Keeping the Contest Open, Affordable: The early window is open and affordable for candidates — ensuring voters choose our 2028 nominee, not money.
• The earliest portion of the window creates an open field, and does not box out any candidates based solely on warchest and name ID.
• South Carolina has a very affordable media market, with estimated weekly ad cost that is among the lowest of any of the early states.
• The relatively inexpensive Reno media market serves the vast majority of Nevadans outside of the Las Vegas media market.
• Both South Carolina and New Hampshire are geographically compact states, making travel more affordable and accessible.

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More on this to come over the weekend at FHQ Plus.

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Related at FHQ Plus (subscription)...

Democrats devise their own super penalty for primary calendar violations 

The Rules and Bylaws Committee adopted new enhanced penalties to punish states and candidates who break timing rules in 2028

At FHQ Plus: The coming 2028 primary calendar vote from the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee

Over at FHQ Plus...

The Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) of the Democratic National Committee opened up the first of two days of meetings on Thursday, July 23 and it looks as if the panel has cleared the way for further, if not final, consideration of the states that will make up the early calendar lineup on the party’s 2028 presidential primary calendar. With work on the delegate selection rules and Call for the Convention now done, the RBC can now return its focus to determining which states will kick off the presidential primary process in a year and a half or so.

Over at FHQ yesterday, I shared some quick thoughts on where the process is and what seems to be coming in reaction to Shane Goldmacher’s reporting at The New York Times. But DNC Chair Ken Martin led off day one of this RBC meeting in Washington with some remarks that are worth incorporating into how one might approach any calendar vote that might be coming on Friday. I dig into all of that over at FHQ Plus.

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Related at FHQ Plus (subscription)...

Democrats devise their own super penalty for primary calendar violations

The Rules and Bylaws Committee adopted new enhanced penalties to punish states and candidates who break timing rules in 2028

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At FHQ Plus: Leftovers: 2028 delegate allocation in the Republican presidential nomination process

Over at FHQ Plus...

In researching the recent post on the Republican early calendar rules for 2028, FHQ ran across a couple of items that, while neither fit in there, merit some mention in this space. One is minor -- South Carolina Republican allocation -- and the other, one that will likely ultimately fall into the same minor category, has major implications for how delegates will be allocated in the Republican process in 2028 as things stand now. I explore both in depth over at FHQ Plus.

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Is the early 2028 Republican presidential primary calendar set?

The national party rules seem to say yes, but...

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"South Carolina and Nevada Fight to Kick Off Democrats’ 2028 Presidential Calendar"

Shane Goldmacher at The New York Times has the latest on the two frontrunners for the Democrats' top primary calendar spot for 2028:

"South Carolina and Nevada have emerged as the two front-runners to begin the 2028 Democratic presidential nominating calendar, but their jockeying has grown acrimonious and pitted Black and Latino party leaders against each other, according to interviews with more than a dozen party officials involved in the discussions.

"A powerful panel of 49 insiders of the Democratic National Committee is set to meet this week in Washington to sketch out the order of the early-state calendar. The full party body would then vote next month to finalize the choices."

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Noteworthy: There is a lot in Goldmacher's piece, but let me offer a few thoughts on where the process to select the four or five states that will make up the Democrats' 2028 presidential primary calendar is:

1. Remember, there may or may not be a vote on this matter at the Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) meeting this week. 

2. Still, South Carolina and Nevada seemingly lead for the top slot. And while it is good to have that progress report, it is also true that around this time last year the chatter was about Michigan, New Hampshire and Nevada having a leg up for first-in-the-nation. Things change. But importantly, time is running out (even if the RBC vote is delayed beyond this week).

3a. It is striking that New Hampshire is not in the mix for the first spot. In some ways, the Granite state's absence is understandable. The 2024 experience between the state party in New Hampshire and the national party was, well, rocky and Democrats in the Granite state broke the rules before they ultimately complied with them. That is not to say that this is retribution on the part of the DNC. The support seemingly just is not there on a revamped RBC. And it is notable that workarounds like pairing New Hampshire and Nevada's primaries on the same day are not being floated this time around as in 2022. But New Hampshire remains in good position to be granted a waiver for some spot in the early window, but probably not first.

3b. That New Hampshire appears to be on the outside looking in with respect to the leadoff spot suggests a number of things. That the DNC is up to repeating the same fight for 2028. That the national party feels comfortable that the harsher penalties it is likely to adopt next month in Austin will keep rogue states in check.

4. The fifth spot, according to Goldmacher's sources, seems to be coming down to a couple of blue states (with unified Democratic control of state government) with other states from their respective regions vying for the top spot. In fact, it appears that the fifth slot may hinge on whether South Carolina or Nevada goes first. If South Carolina gets the nod, then New Mexico would join Nevada and give the early window two western states. If it is Nevada, then Virginia would, alongside South Carolina, be a second southern state before Super Tuesday. 

5. There appears to be some friction on the RBC about the timing of this decision. Some members of the panel appear poised to vote on the early calendar lineup now while others want to wait. As Goldmacher writes about the former group:

Others believe that waiting could cause a mangled mess, because it would probably mean that candidates would announce their bids before a final calendar had been set.

That really is not a good reason to vote now. Prospective candidates are already doing the things that presidential candidates do before announcing their candidacies. Voting to finalize the calendar now is not going to affect any of that one way or another. Those announcements are an arbitrary point in the process. And regardless, the calendar rules may be set ahead of the announcement window, but the calendar is not set until states and state parties do their part next year. I mean, that is FrontloadingHQ 101.

And as I argued earlier today, waiting until after the midterms likely maximizes the ways in which the pieces available to the RBC can be moved around in the early window. Or alternatively, the states considered "may not be limited all that much by a decision now, but where those pieces could be moved around in the early window of the primary calendar would be greatly constrained."

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Related at FHQ Plus (subscription)...

Democrats devise their own super penalty for primary calendar violations 

The Rules and Bylaws Committee adopted new enhanced penalties to punish states and candidates who break timing rules in 2028