COLUMBIA, S.C. — Democratic party chairs from Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia jointly wrote a letter to the Democratic National Committee urging that South Carolina serve as the first state in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary calendar. The letter stated that South Carolina "is not simply a geographic starting point. It is a moral and political compass for our party and our nation."

The chairs wrote, "The fight for voting rights is no longer just a courtroom battle, it is an electoral one. And it begins in South Carolina." They added that "any effort to diminish South Carolina’s role in the primary process would be a step backward for the Democratic Party’s stated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion."

They also wrote, "It would signal to Southern Democrats and to Black voters in particular, that their loyalty to this party is taken for granted. We refuse to accept that, and we will stand firmly against it."

Their appeal comes as the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee prepares to hear presentations from about a dozen states seeking to lead off the 2028 primary calendar. The official schedule will not be finalized until later in the summer of 2026.

Support for South Carolina’s position has also come from U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. Thompson wrote a separate letter to DNC leaders backing South Carolina’s first-in-the-nation status, stating, "To remove or diminish South Carolina’s standing in the primary calendar would send precisely the wrong message to Black voters and to every voter who has been told their voice does not matter until after the outcome is already decided."

South Carolina Democratic Party chair Christale Spain defended the state’s role, saying it has "more to offer than other states do," including "the role of Black folks." South Carolina held the first primary in the 2024 cycle following a Democratic National Committee decision led by President Joe Biden, who cited its racially diverse electorate compared to Iowa and New Hampshire. In 2020, Biden’s victory in South Carolina, aided by an endorsement from Representative Jim Clyburn, helped revive his campaign and secure the Democratic nomination.