Re‑thinking the 2028 Democratic Primary Calendar After the VRA Ruling

The Supreme Court’s latest ruling severely cuts back the powers of the Voting Rights Act, a tool that has long protected minority voting rights. Democrats are now forced to decide how to structure the 2028 primary calendar in a way that preserves the influence of Black voters in the South while also facing a formidable Republican backlash.

The Democratic National Committee’s Rules & Bylaws Committee (RBC) is meeting this week to determine the first‑in‑nation states for the upcoming cycle. Historically, South Carolina has served as that launching point, providing candidates a crucial early test of their appeal to Black voters. Questions are now being raised about whether the party should broaden this approach to include one or two additional southern states or if the focus should remain on the traditional early primaries in New Hampshire and Nevada.

Vice Chair Donna Brazile, long involved in the DNC’s state‑selection process, has highlighted the need for “more than one state in the South” in 2028. She argues that doing so would “rebuild the Democratic Party’s standing in the region while providing a stronger platform to challenge the GOP’s gerrymandering tactics.”

South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee are all vying for the coveted early slots. Georgia and North Carolina are especially strong contenders, with the former having successfully won their gubernatorial and secretaries‑of‑state elections this year. Nonetheless, logistical and legal hurdles have made it difficult for these states to secure an early position: South Carolina remains a stronghold for the party, having delivered a decisive victory for Joe Biden in 2024, while Virginia’s top court has successfully opposed maps that could have overridden Democratic advantage in the House.

The political upheaval surrounding the Southern states is intertwined with the broader strategy to secure down‑ballot victories. Republican dominance has increasingly shifted instead of challenged Democratic majorities. By placing the primary calendar in the Southern states early, the Democratic party gains an opportunity to counterbalance that influence through the election of judicial and state officials that could unseat GOP‑favored maps.

The overarching message from southern Democratic leaders is clear: eliminating or diminishing South Carolina’s primaries would send a “step backward” for diversity, equity, and inclusion. They stress that the party’s ability to protect voting rights will now transition from the courtroom to the ballot box.

Attending the RBC meetings, Chiefs from Maryland, Arkansas, and other lower‑profile southern states joined the conversation, emphasizing the need for a unified message that speaks to the Black voters whose voices shape the party’s future. The early primaries, and the choice of states, will likely be a battleground as the campaign season begins, but it also represents an open door for the Democratic Party to repair the damage done by decades of Republican redistricting.

In conclusion, the VRA ruling signals a turning point for the Democratic Party’s strategy in the South. By placing two Southern states in the early window and ensuring that the Democratic message resonates with Black voters, the party hopes to counter the GOP narrative and establish itself as a formidable presence in the 2028 election cycle.