Executive Summary
- South Carolina Democrats have invited DNC officials to meet former President Biden ahead of the 2028 primary calendar decision.
- Twelve states are currently competing for the first-in-the-nation primary slot, challenging South Carolina’s position.
- The lobbying effort occurs amid internal party debates regarding the schedule’s impact following Donald Trump’s 2024 victory.
South Carolina Democrats are mobilizing former President Joe Biden to advocate for maintaining the state’s position as the first contest in the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential primary calendar.
According to correspondence obtained by Axios, South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain has invited members of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) Rules and Bylaws Committee to a reception with the former president. The event is scheduled to take place this Friday in Columbia, South Carolina. Chair Spain described the gathering as a rare opportunity for committee members to interact with Biden, though she stated the event is intended to "celebrate" his accomplishments rather than explicitly utilize him for lobbying.
The DNC panel is expected to finalize the 2028 calendar in the coming months, facing fierce competition from 12 states vying for the opening slot. In the 2024 cycle, President Biden directed the party to move South Carolina to the front of the line, displacing Iowa and New Hampshire, arguing that the state’s diverse electorate better represented the party’s base. However, the political landscape has shifted following Donald Trump’s 2024 victory, leading some factions within the party to question the previous strategy.
Strategic Assessment
The involvement of former President Biden in the DNC’s structural deliberations highlights the complex balance the party must strike between honoring its immediate past leadership and recalibrating for the future following the 2024 general election defeat. For South Carolina, leveraging Biden’s influence is a calculated defense of its elevated status; however, the DNC’s upcoming decision will serve as a critical indicator of whether the party intends to maintain the structural changes implemented during the Biden era or pivot toward a new demographic strategy to regain competitiveness in 2028.
Source: Axios
