{"id":1596,"date":"2026-07-23T09:38:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T09:38:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=1596"},"modified":"2026-07-23T09:38:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T09:38:13","slug":"states-are-in-a-fight-to-the-death-for-the-democratic-primary-calendars-top-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=1596","title":{"rendered":"States Are in a \u2018Fight to the Death\u2019 for the Democratic Primary Calendar\u2019s Top Spot"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>A last-minute, aggressive lobbying campaign is underway over the phone and through the media, as Democrats from a handful of states jockey to lead off the presidential nominating calendar.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=1592\">House Committee Advances Bill Limiting D.C.\u2019s Ability to Raise Taxes<\/a><\/p><p>South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain appeared on Roland Martin\u2019s YouTube show Monday <span><u>to declare<\/u><\/span>, \u201cwe\u2019re first, and we maintain that.\u201d At a private reception Wednesday night, Democratic National Committee members mingled with Nevada Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto, while New Hampshire boosters reached DNC members with one-on-one phone calls.<\/p>\n<p>The all-out push will culminate at the DNC\u2019s Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting later this week. The 49-person panel is charged with setting the early-state window, ahead of what\u2019s expected to be <span><u>a wide-open and unwieldy Democratic presidential primary<\/u><\/span>. Ahead of Friday\u2019s meeting, tensions are already running high.<\/p><p>\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a bloodbath,\u201d said one of the members, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly. \u201cMost states represented have at least one or two members on the committee, and I think they\u2019re all going to fight to the death for this.\u201d<\/p>\n<section>\n<div>\n<h2>\n<span>Trending<\/span>\n<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"SINGH_FAMILY_NOTUS_JM060 copy.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-1539\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/76445c2cef10e3d52043b0529872c58a-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/76445c2cef10e3d52043b0529872c58a-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/76445c2cef10e3d52043b0529872c58a-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/76445c2cef10e3d52043b0529872c58a.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><h3>\n<span>\n                      Suspicion and Doubt at the National Civics Contest\n                    <\/span>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"U.S. Department of Agriculture\" class=\"wp-image-1535\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5534be3cbdc94c568721f805a2d66479-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5534be3cbdc94c568721f805a2d66479-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5534be3cbdc94c568721f805a2d66479-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5534be3cbdc94c568721f805a2d66479.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><h3>\n<span>\n                      USDA Workers Don\u2019t Plan to Stay on the Job as Offices Relocate\n                    <\/span>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., makes her way to a swearing in ceremony in the U.S. Capitol after she was sworn in on the Senate floor on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.\" class=\"wp-image-1595\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/e44766f7a2baa9c8e149430088b9ab75-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/e44766f7a2baa9c8e149430088b9ab75-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/e44766f7a2baa9c8e149430088b9ab75-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/e44766f7a2baa9c8e149430088b9ab75.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><h3>\n<span>\n                      Darline Graham? Republicans Don\u2019t Know Her.\n                    <\/span>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Members of Patriot Front ride the metro as a commuter looks on.\" class=\"wp-image-1140\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/a83d84194055dedfdd98b2e70239cb6c-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/a83d84194055dedfdd98b2e70239cb6c-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/a83d84194055dedfdd98b2e70239cb6c-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/a83d84194055dedfdd98b2e70239cb6c.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><h3>\n<span>\n                      The Woman in the Photo Wanted to Be Alone. Instead, She Went Viral.\n                    <\/span>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Interviews with nearly a dozen DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee members revealed some certainty about which states will likely be inside the early window \u2014 South Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire and Michigan \u2014 but not necessarily the order. South Carolina and Nevada appear to be front-runners for the first spot over New Hampshire, according to these interviews. Members aren\u2019t sure if they\u2019ll add a fifth state to the slate, though if they do, New Mexico and Virginia lead that discussion.<\/p><p>\u201cI believe South Carolina is in a good position, and our vote count is good. We made the case in May to be first, and we\u2019ve been talking to members ever since then,\u201d said Spain, the South Carolina party chair. \u201cI believe we have the votes, but I think Nevada is the next-highest vote-getter.\u201d<\/p><p>Setting the presidential primary calendar is one of the DNC\u2019s most consequential tasks ahead of the 2028 presidential primary, and the Rules and Bylaws Committee must contend with its own internal politics over which states to elevate or demote \u2014 triggering debates over racial diversity and representation.<\/p><p>Members said they hoped to recommend a slate by Friday and send it to a full vote of the DNC at their meeting in Austin, Texas, next month. At least a few members are pushing to delay the decision until after the upcoming midterms, though others insist they must wrap it up as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to rip the Band-aid off,\u201d said a second rules committee member. \u201cWe\u2019re going to make people mad no matter what, and it\u2019s not going to get any easier after the midterms.\u201d<\/p><p>Reordering the slate <span><u>also made people mad in 2022<\/u><\/span>, when then-President Joe Biden eliminated Iowa as an early state, elevated South Carolina to first and added Michigan. The party came under pressure to shake up its calendar after the 2020 presidential primaries, when technical difficulties upended the Iowa caucuses and candidates criticized Iowa and New Hampshire for their lack of racial diversity.<\/p><p>\u201cThere\u2019s real ramifications, long-term ramifications, if we don\u2019t make the right decision on the calendar,\u201d said Jaime Harrison, the former DNC chairman who also served as the South Carolina Democratic Party chair. \u201cBlack voters are paying very close attention to this.\u201d<\/p><div>\n<\/div><p>South Carolina\u2019s boosters are making their pitch publicly and privately, sharpened by the Supreme Court\u2019s decision to further gut the Voting Rights Act this spring. They also argue that South Carolina\u2019s relatively cheap media market, compactness and majority-Black primary electorate will be the best proving ground for future presidential candidates.<\/p><p>In a letter to DNC members and obtained by NOTUS, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-South Carolina) warned in May that it would be a \u201cprofound mistake for our Party to retreat\u201d from Black voters and Southern states in the nominating process, adding that South Carolina\u2019s role in the nominating process \u201chas been about ensuring that candidates engage deeply with the diverse coalition.\u201d<\/p><p>Officials from Nevada are also campaigning aggressively to be first. They, too, leaned into their state\u2019s racial diversity, particularly its Latino population. Over the last year, Nevada\u2019s elected officials have made personal appeals to DNC members and frequently hosted events to promote the state. More than 20 Latino leaders and groups signed on to a letter Wednesday, urging members to elevate Nevada in order to \u201creverse\u201d the trend of losing Latino voters to Republicans.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=1588\">Second WHCA Dinner Isn\u2019t a Security \u2018Redo\u2019 for the Secret Service, Officials Say<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cChoosing Nevada to go first is a strategic decision, as we work to win back the coalition we need to win back the White House in \u201828,\u201d said Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the Nevada Democratic Party chair. \u201cThat coalition of rebuilding has to be a broad coalition, which has to include Black voters, Asian voters.\u201d<\/p><p>Some members have suggested that the battle for first may include horse-trading on a fifth addition to the line-up. If Nevada were selected to go first, then members may add Virginia, putting two Southern states in the early window. And if South Carolina were to go first, then they could add New Mexico, another western state with strong Latino representation.<\/p><p>But DNC members have raised concerns about Nevada\u2019s mail-in balloting, which could delay the results of the primary. Monroe-Moreno said the Nevada secretary of state\u2019s office is \u201cimplementing adjustments and improvements\u201d to its mail-in ballot counting.<\/p><p>\u201cIt may take a little more counting than another state,\u201d she said. \u201cI want to make sure that everyone\u2019s votes are counted.\u201d<\/p><p>Without a Democrat in the White House, the 49-person committee is charged with making its own decision on the calendar. DNC Chair Ken Martin has largely remained hands-off, but that could change over the next few days, the committee members said.<\/p><p>\u201cI don\u2019t think Ken needs any more headaches than he\u2019s already got,\u201d said one Democratic operative involved in the calendar process and granted anonymity to speak candidly.<\/p>\n<p>The chaos of selecting a new calendar comes during a rocky year for the DNC. Martin has <span><u>faced questions over his leadership<\/u><\/span> after presiding over an incomplete autopsy of the 2024 election and staring down serious fundraising challenges. The Republican National Committee is sitting on $128 million in cash, while the DNC holds $16.3 million with $18.5 million in debts, according to the most recent Federal Elections Commission filings.<\/p><p>It\u2019s not clear whether states or candidates will follow the DNC\u2019s decision on the primary calendar, given the committee\u2019s weakened position. At least three potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidates told NOTUS last month they were considering skipping the DNC\u2019s debate schedule, while Iowa\u2019s backers have already <span><u>said they are seriously considering hosting a rogue caucus. <\/u><\/span><\/p><p>Last month, the DNC <span><u>instituted stiffer penalties<\/u><\/span> if a state jumps the line to head off these challenges. For example, if a candidate campaigns in a rogue contest, they\u2019ll sacrifice debate stage access and the state will lose its delegates at the party\u2019s 2028 convention.<\/p><p>New Hampshire already tested those boundaries in 2024, when it ran its own unsanctioned primary after Biden demoted the state from its first-in-the-nation status. The state is still expected to be in the early window, but several DNC members said \u201cNew Hampshire is a very distant third\u201d behind Nevada and South Carolina for first. \u201cThey just don\u2019t have the votes,\u201d a third DNC member said.<\/p><p>New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley defended the state\u2019s position, arguing in a statement that \u201canyone who suggests New Hampshire isn\u2019t in a strong position is mistaken.\u201d<\/p><p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been focused on having conversations one-on-one with committee members, and we\u2019re encouraged by how those have been going,\u201d Buckley continued. \u201cNew Hampshire serves as a critical testing ground for whether candidates can attract independent voters \u2014 an issue that couldn\u2019t be more pressing for the Democratic Party nationally.\u201d<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=1584\">Software Vendor Denies Responsibility for New Jersey Voter-Registration Error<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire and Michigan are expected to be early states, according to interviews with DNC members.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1593,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-democrats"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>States Are in a \u2018Fight to the Death\u2019 for the Democratic Primary Calendar\u2019s Top Spot - Modern Home Journals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=1596\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"States Are in a \u2018Fight to the Death\u2019 for the Democratic Primary Calendar\u2019s Top Spot - Modern Home Journals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"South Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire and Michigan are expected to be early states, according to interviews with DNC members.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=1596\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Modern Home Journals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-23T09:38:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/76445c2cef10e3d52043b0529872c58a.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=1596#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=1596\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/533de239efc09a2ab59959cc1bff86d0\"},\"headline\":\"States Are in a \u2018Fight to the Death\u2019 for the Democratic Primary Calendar\u2019s Top Spot\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-23T09:38:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=1596\"},\"wordCount\":1404,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=1596#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/521dd9dcc8d01319718f8bec97afe7a9-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Democrats\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=1596#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=1596\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=1596\",\"name\":\"States Are in a \u2018Fight to the Death\u2019 for the Democratic Primary Calendar\u2019s Top Spot - 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A voting sign is seen near a voting center at Croft Baptist Church, Feb. 24, 2024, in Spartanburg, S.C. A small but substantial chunk of GOP primary and caucus voters have said they'd be so dissatisfied if Donald Trump became the Republican Party's presidential nominee that they would ultimately not vote for him in November, according to AP VoteCast. 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A voting sign is seen near a voting center at Croft Baptist Church, Feb. 24, 2024, in Spartanburg, S.C. A small but substantial chunk of GOP primary and caucus voters have said they'd be so dissatisfied if Donald Trump became the Republican Party's presidential nominee that they would ultimately not vote for him in November, according to AP VoteCast. 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