Democratic Bosses Are Launching a Remake of the 2028 Calendar

"The caucus gyms of first-in-the-nation Iowa transformed Barack Obama from curiosity to contender in 2008. Black-church networks in South Carolina handed Joe Biden the Democratic nomination in 2020. If not for the restaurants and bowling lanes of New Hampshire, Bill Clinton's campaign and career would likely have been, to borrow a phrase, as dead as the "last dog" in 1992. Picking Democratic presidential nominees in the United States, in other words, has always been a concocted local game."

"Even after Democratic leaders decided in the early 1970s to empower regular people through primaries and open caucuses, they kept a grip on the schedule of contests and the rules by which delegates are selected and can act. Rather than aspiring to provide equal representation, party bosses designed the system to give voters in some states more sway than those in others."

"Now the Democratic Party is trying to decide what type of voters it wants to shape its attempt to regain the White House in 2028. Three years after then-President Biden effectively eliminated the Democratic nominating competition by reordering early contests in his favor, the party's Rules and Bylaws Committee has invited all 57 states and territories to apply by tomorrow for pole position in the reshuffled 2028 calendar."

Early-state contests such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina have historically propelled presidential contenders and shaped nominations. After 1970s reforms, Democratic leaders retained control over the primary schedule and delegate rules, intentionally giving some states greater influence. The party now seeks to redefine the 2028 calendar, inviting all states and territories to apply for early positions after a Biden-era reshuffle. The forthcoming decision will alter candidate strategy, heighten competition among states, and risk conflicts like unsanctioned caucuses or intense lobbying from traditional early states.

Read at The Atlantic