Democrats reshape their primary calendar: From the Politics Desk

From the Politics DeskDemocrats reshape their primary calendar: From the Politics DeskPlus, 100 days out from the midterms, Republicans feel the pressure on the Iran war. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleSouth Carolina to hold first Democratic 2028 primary, indicating DNC's push to court minority voters04:03Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 24, 2026, 5:00 PM EDTBy The Politics DeskWelcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.In today’s edition, Ben Kamisar breaks down Democrats’ new presidential primary order. Plus, Kristen Welker explores the political pressure the ongoing Iran war is putting on Republicans.Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here.— Adam WollnerSouth Carolina set to kick off Democrats’ 2028 primary calendarBy Ben KamisarSouth Carolina is poised to hold the first Democratic presidential nominating contest in 2028 after the Democratic National Committee’s powerful rules committee voted to keep the state at the front of the line.The move, recommended by the rules committee today and set to be presented to the full DNC at its summer meeting next month, settles a monthslong battle among a handful of states. Nevada and New Hampshire, which also vied to be the lead-off state, will hold the second and third nominating contests, respectively. And Iowa, which had long hosted the first-in-the-nation caucuses, is out of the early voting window altogether.The dates of the first six 2028 contests:Jan. 22: South CarolinaFeb. 1: NevadaFeb. 8: New Hampshire Feb. 15: New MexicoFeb. 22: MichiganFeb. 29: Virginia The new calendar significantly changes the calculus for Democratic presidential candidates, replacing two heavily white states at th...