By Arit John, Ethan Cohen, CNN
(CNN) — Democrats are kicking off the process of setting their 2028 presidential primary calendar this month, after 12 states submitted applications to lead the process.
For decades, Democrats closely mirrored Republicans with their primary schedule, with the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries leading the race to the nomination. In the wake of the botched 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses and growing calls for diversity in the early states, Democrats adopted a new schedule selected by President Joe Biden that made South Carolina the first-in-the-nation primary, demoted New Hampshire, elevated Michigan and Georgia and booted Iowa from the early window.
Now, there’s no Democratic president in Washington and a wide-open primary for 2028, with dozens of potential candidates ready to game out their strategies based on which states get picked first.
The Democratic National Committee’s rules and bylaws panel has said it will judge states based on three criteria: rigorousness, fairness and efficiency. In applications reviewed by CNN, state Democratic parties sought to answer how an early primary in their state would test and prepare candidates to win over a diverse range of voters; whether the size of the state or cost of media markets would be fair to smaller campaigns; and whether they would be able to work with their state elected leaders to move their primaries.
The party is still early in the selection process. Members of the DNC’s rules and bylaws panel will meet at the end of this month to begin consideration of the applications.
Here’s how the 12 early-state hopefuls are making their cases:
East region
New Hampshire Democrats led the nominating calendar for a century and have made it clear that they’re seeking to regain their official first-in-the-nation status. The party argued it should be first not for the sake of tradition, but because New Hampshire is a small, purple state that tests candidates’ performance with independents.
“Every general election candidate in New Hampshire knows, you have to win Independents to win your election,” the party wrote. “And each primary candidate knows, attracting Independents to vote in the Democratic primary is just as important as attracting steadfast and devoted Democrats.”
Granite State Democrats also argued that while they are not a racially diverse state – about 87.6% of the state is White, they said – the state’s Black, Latino and Asian American communities are driving population growth in the state.
Delaware Democrats argued in their application that they have a more diverse and representative population than New Hampshire, including a sizable Black population and growing Asian American and Latino communities.
Midwest region
After losing their early window slot in 2024, Iowa Democrats are making the case that they played a key role in boosting lesser-known candidates including former presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. They also argued that hosting their caucuses during the early window would help the state become a swing state once more.
“Change is coming to Iowa in 2026, and as long as national Democrats don’t ignore us, our state will remain competitive and serve as a prime opportunity for critical victories for our party in the general election,” Iowa Democrats wrote.
While Iowa Democrats leaned on their history, Illinois and Michigan emphasized their diversity. Michigan Democrats said they are “a microcosm of Democratic Demographics” while Illinois Democrats called their state “an amalgamation of America, mirroring the country as a whole across socioeconomic, geographic, ethnic and cultural demographics.”
Michigan Democrats also argued that, as a battleground state, any time candidates spend in their state will lead to a return on investment in the general election.
South region
South Carolina Democrats are asking the DNC to keep the first-in-the-nation slot it gained in 2024. The state party argued that it has a large Black population that’s key to the Democratic coalition, along with rural areas and military communities as well as a track record of voting for the eventual Democratic nominee. Under state law, the party can set the date for its own primary.
Virginia leaned into its demographic and regional diversity, from the dense northern Virginia suburbs to the military communities in Hampton Roads and the state’s southern rural communities.
Of the five southern states that applied, two of them, North Carolina and Tennessee, would need to convince their Republican-led legislatures to move the date of their primaries. Georgia Democrats would be able to change their date if Democrats win this year’s gubernatorial and secretary of state races.
For several southern states, hosting an early primary would also symbolize renewed Democratic investment in that part of the country.
“The South has something powerful to say,” Tennessee Democrats wrote. “It’s time we start listening to the heart of it.”
West region
Both Nevada and New Mexico argued their large Latino populations make them prime early-window candidates.
New Mexico Democrats argued that elevating them would also require candidates to confront border policies “in a pragmatic, real-world context rather than relying on abstract or rhetorical framing.”
Nevada Democrats pitched themselves as a state with strong unions, a large Latino population and an important general election battleground state. The state party argued that, at a time when Democrats need to win back minority and working-class voters ahead of 2028, the party must be strategic when choosing its early primary states.
“We cannot afford to have overwhelmingly college-educated, white, or less competitive states kick off the process of selecting our party’s nominee,” Nevada Democrats wrote.
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