(KIWA Staff Photo)
Statewide Iowa (RI) — Iowa Democrats appear likely to face sanctions from the national party if they schedule their Caucuses as the first voting event of the 2028 presidential campaign.
The Iowa Democratic Party’s Caucuses had been first-in-the-nation for decades, but coding issues delayed the release of 2020 results for three days — and the Democratic National Committee forbid the party from hosting the lead-off event in 2024. The party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee today picked six other states to hold early presidential primaries in 2028, with Michigan representing the Midwest. Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow is a member of the panel that made the decision.
The six states will not vote on the same day, and party leaders have decided South Carolina Democrats will go first. Other states in the early voting block are Nevada and New Hampshire, which has a state law requiring its presidential primary to be held before all others. Multiple sources indicate party officials plan to add Virginia and New Mexico to the “early states” list later Friday.
The Democratic National Committee will vote in August to set its 2028 presidential primary calendar. Meanwhile, the Iowa Republican Party is poised to host Caucuses in 2028 that will be the first voting test for GOP presidential candidates.
