SerpApi.Org
Nevada is angling to oust South Carolina as the first state to hold the Democratic primary in the 2028 elections, a move that is causing a ruckus in the caucus.
South Carolina was first on Democrats’ primary calendar in 2024, when the state played a critical part in nominating then-President Joe Biden for a second term. Some Democrats favor the state to come in first due to its sizable black population, as the demographic is considered a key component of the party’s power.
However, Nevada is now angling to lead the country’s Democratic primaries, as a panel of 49 Democratic National Committee insiders is set to meet this week in Washington, D.C., to sketch out the order of the early-state calendar, according to the New York Times. The development comes as Nevada party leaders believe its swing-state status and large Hispanic population would make Democrats more electable in the general election, arguing that it should push it to first-place status in the primaries, over South Carolina, a solidly red state.
“The bottom line is the best way to beat back the Trump administration’s assault on Black voters is to elect a Democrat to the White House in 2028, period,” Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the chairwoman of the Nevada Democratic Party, told the outlet. “Choosing Nevada to go first is a strategic decision.”
Ken Martin, the party chairman, has so far appeared to steer clear of endorsing South Carolina, Nevada, or another state to take the lead.
Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), viewed as a power player in South Carolina politics, has said he would be willing to have another state go first in the primaries, as long as his is the first to go in the South.
But Christale Spain, the chairwoman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, expressed a firm stance on keeping the state first.
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“If Nevada gets elevated over South Carolina, it would be because of their Latino vote,” she said to the New York Times. “So you would then be telling Black voters that you matter less than brown voters. And I refuse to believe that our party wants to send any type of message like that.”
“It is terribly unfortunate this process has been allowed to come down to Black voters versus brown voters,” Jay Parmley, the executive director at the South Carolina Democratic Party, added. “And I think that is very dangerous for our party, and I would hope the Rules and Bylaws Committee is adept enough at not letting it go there.”
