(KIWA Staff Photo)
Statewide Iowa (RI) — National Democrats are proposing a $270,000 fine for any state party that defies the national party’s approved schedule and holds an early voting contest in the 2028 presidential race.
At the urging of President Joe Biden, the Iowa Democratic Party lost its first-in-the-nation status in 2024 after a delay in the 2020 Caucus results. Some prominent Iowa Democrats have suggested holding their caucuses first in 2028, with or without the national party’s blessing.
Now, national Democrats are considering the Iowa Caucuses for one of the early-state slots at the start of the 2028 presidential campaign. The DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee is recommending not only a hefty fine for states that jump ahead on the presidential nominating calendar, but also stripping those state parties of their ability to send delegates to the 2028 Democratic National Convention.
The Democratic National Committee is likely to consider the proposed sanctions at its meeting in August.
Meanwhile, the Iowa Republican Party retained its first-in-the-nation status in 2024 and are poised to be the first contest again for the party’s 2028 presidential candidates.
