In South Carolina, Republicans control all levels of government save the majority-minority 6th Congressional district. Yet, they describe the Democratic Party as better at “getting their way.” What’s going on? open.substack.com/pub/winthrop...

The Depth (height?) of Republican Dominance in South Carolina and the Struggle Faced by Democrats

"We control absolutely every lever of power and have the majorities to do whatever we want ... Look out! The Democrats are about to take control!" - some Republican political consultant ... probably

open.substack.com

🚨Save the date🚨 Join the Elections Research Center on Friday, Nov. 20, for the 2026 Election Symposium aat the Discovery Building. Hear leading experts unpack the midterm results, key races, issues, vote patterns and Wisconsin’s battleground role. 🔗http://go.wisc.edu/3EOJM3

New Mexico's push for 2028 early primary status could encounter logistical challenges www.frontloadinghq.com/2026/08/new-...

I mean, this isn't exactly surprising. None of these candidates are going to come out *before their own primary elections* and state that the New Hampshire presidential primary should be anything other than first. 1/

Taegan Goddard@politicalwire.com · yesterday

New Hampshire Democrats Defiant https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/04/new-hampshire-democrats-defiant/

Republicans in Concord draft bill to counter DNC move against NH primary www.frontloadinghq.com/2026/07/repu...

Maine Democrats fight national party on ranked-choice voting in 2028 www.frontloadinghq.com/2026/07/main...

I'll have more to say about the implications of the DNC's 2028 presidential primary calendar, but I first wanted to dig into some of the weeds from last week's Rules & Bylaws Committee meeting. A number of calendar-related items are flying under the radar. www.fhqplus.com/p/lets-talk-...

Let's talk about the Democrats' 2028 presidential primary calendar, part one

A closer look at the Rule & Bylaws Committee meeting where the early calendar decisions were made

fhqplus.com

This is a really helpful piece of perspective on the New Hampshire presidential primary and its place in an ever-changing nomination system. From @graniteprof.bsky.social: newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/07/28/h...

Has New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation law outlived its usefulness? • New Hampshire Bulletin

New Hampshire’s political elites quickly pointed fingers after a Democratic National Committee panel voted Friday to strip the Granite State of its first-in-the-nation status on the presidential nomin...

newhampshirebulletin.com

I'll have more to say about the implications of the DNC's 2028 presidential primary calendar, but I first wanted to dig into some of the weeds from last week's Rules & Bylaws Committee meeting. A number of calendar-related items are flying under the radar. www.fhqplus.com/p/lets-talk-...

Let's talk about the Democrats' 2028 presidential primary calendar, part one

A closer look at the Rule & Bylaws Committee meeting where the early calendar decisions were made

fhqplus.com

Updated: FHQ Plus Annotated 2028 presidential primary calendar www.fhqplus.com/p/the-2028-p...

The Annotated 2028 Presidential Primary Calendar

Tracking the evolution of the timeline of delegate selection events that will determine the next presidential nominees

fhqplus.com

I can appreciate that knives might be out for DNC Chair Ken Martin. It comes with the territory. But, I swear, an article like this deserves more than one sentence devoted to the comparative look back to other past parties out of the White House. 1/ www.nytimes.com/2026/07/26/u...

Updated: FHQ Plus Annotated 2028 presidential primary calendar www.fhqplus.com/p/the-2028-p...

The Annotated 2028 Presidential Primary Calendar

Tracking the evolution of the timeline of delegate selection events that will determine the next presidential nominees

fhqplus.com

Martin often undermines not unreasonable points with factual inaccuracies about the nomination process. Here's one: The DNC didn't do that. Democratic-controlled state governments across the South, acting within DNC rules for 1988, moved their contests to the earliest spot behind IA/NH. 1/

JB is absolutely right about the calendar here. My only quibble is with the last bit about the penalties. Look, NH will have the first (unsanctioned) state-run primary. Period. There’s no question about that. It’s the law! 1/ goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com/p/a-calendar...

A Calendar for 2028 Dems

And all the links

goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com

Martin often undermines not unreasonable points with factual inaccuracies about the nomination process. Here's one: The DNC didn't do that. Democratic-controlled state governments across the South, acting within DNC rules for 1988, moved their contests to the earliest spot behind IA/NH. 1/

Something I haven't seen yet but should be said: If the SC Dem primary is on January 22... ...then the NH primary will be scheduled for January 11, the Tuesday at least a week before the next "similar contest," and... ...then the Iowa Republican caucuses would fall on January 3, 2028.

DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee Proposes Early States for 2028 Democratic Presidential Nominating Calendar www.frontloadinghq.com/2026/07/dnc-...

Unified Democratic control of state government and a compelling pitch to the Rules & Bylaws Committee in May made all the difference.

Matt Hodges@matthodges.bsky.social · 2w ago

it's incredible that NM is on here actually

So many things to respond to in this. [But you knew that was coming. ;-) ] I'll start with the "few decades" part. It is funny you should say that. DNC Chair Martin said just the opposite yesterday: “Whatever calendar we put in place today should not be a calendar for the next 40 years.” 1/

Jonathan Bernstein@jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 2w ago

I'd rather build a couple of down weeks in there, and (not that the DNC can do this) it would be nice to pick the whole thing up and set it down 4-6 weeks later, but...not bad? Now just keep it like this for a few decades. (Also presumably NH isn't going to go along, so we'll see how that goes).

The DNC staff calendar was unanimously adopted by the RBC: Jan 22 SC Feb 1 NV Feb 8 NH Feb 15 NM Feb 22 MI Feb 29 VA There you have it. Updates to come... www.fhqplus.com/p/the-2028-p...

The Annotated 2028 Presidential Primary Calendar

Tracking the evolution of the timeline of delegate selection events that will determine the next presidential nominees

fhqplus.com

Just going to game this out a bit based on where things have strongly been hinted to be going... Jan 29 -- SC February 1 -- NV February 8 -- NH party-run primary??? February 15 or 22 -- MI February 22 or 29 -- NM February 29 or March 1-6 -- VA www.fhqplus.com/p/the-2028-p...

The Annotated 2028 Presidential Primary Calendar

Tracking the evolution of the timeline of delegate selection events that will determine the next presidential nominees

fhqplus.com

The DNC will vote on the calendar the RBC passes today (along with the rest of the rules and the Call for the Convention) at its meeting next month in Austin, TX. There may be some debate there -- as there was today -- but I expect the full DNC to pass this with SC at the front.

David Darmofal@daviddarmofal.bsky.social · 2w ago

Does this need to be confirmed at another meeting? Thanks!

Calendar Roll call vote SC 26 NV 19 NH 4 The co-chairs put SC over the top. SC = FITN for 2028.

No motion yet. Kleeb was speaking out of turn (but HINTING at where this is going). For now, the RBC is just hearing from members on which state they support for first. So far... SC 10 NV 7-ish NH 2-ish * -ish because one speaker voiced support for both (...but really probably supports NV).

David Darmofal@daviddarmofal.bsky.social · 2w ago

I had to head out to lunch, @www.fhqplus.com. Is the motion on the floor for South Carolina to go first?

Reading between the lines, this suggests Nevada could be the first state and that South Carolina will be one among three states from the South in the early window. *COULD.* The South is the only region with three likely applicants (GA, NC, SC & VA). The Midwest also has three but IA is one of them.

David Darmofal@daviddarmofal.bsky.social · 2w ago

It passed. Sounded unanimous. Potentially six early states for Democrats in 2028. And states 5 & 6 could come from the same region, meaning one region could get half of the early states (not that I'd expect that to happen!).

This is a compromise between the vote now on the calendar or vote after the midterms division on the RBC. It gives them some flexibility without having to wait to finalize *the rules* after the DNC meeting next month, something the DNC chair wants. www.fhqplus.com/p/the-coming...

The coming 2028 primary calendar vote from the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee

A few thoughts before a possible Friday vote on the early states for 2028

fhqplus.com

David Darmofal@daviddarmofal.bsky.social · 2w ago

There's a motion on the floor to have six states in the Democrats' early window in 2028. They're discussing it now. www.youtube.com/live/18Uuelx...

The prebuttals are in! Look, NH Dems broke the DNC calendar rules in 2024 & they are still likely to receive a waiver from the RBC to hold an early contest in 2028. Probably not first, but before at worst 52 other states/territories. Sorry, that's not a snub. 1/ www.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/24/n...

The DNC may snub the N.H. primary once again — and make the same mistakes once again - The Boston Globe

The purpose of the first presidential contest shouldn’t be to reward a demographic group, a labor union, a consultant class, or a state.

bostonglobe.com

If folks tuned in today to see a calendar vote by the Democrats, then they came away disappointed. But the DNC chair's comments ahead of the Rules & Bylaws Committee meeting earlier are worth considering ahead of tomorrow's session when the calendar will feature. www.fhqplus.com/p/the-coming...

The coming 2028 primary calendar vote from the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee

A few thoughts before a possible Friday vote on the early states for 2028

fhqplus.com

If folks tuned in today to see a calendar vote by the Democrats, then they came away disappointed. But the DNC chair's comments ahead of the Rules & Bylaws Committee meeting earlier are worth considering ahead of tomorrow's session when the calendar will feature. www.fhqplus.com/p/the-coming...

The coming 2028 primary calendar vote from the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee

A few thoughts before a possible Friday vote on the early states for 2028

fhqplus.com

If the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee makes a decision now on the 2028 primary calendar, Georgia won't make the cut. Simple as that. If the panel waits until after the midterms AND if Georgia elects a Dem SoS in November, then maybe.

Greg Bluestein@bluestein.bsky.social · 2w ago

Georgia Democrats are again pushing for an early spot on the 2028 presidential primary calendar. But even if the DNC signs off, there’s a catch: The state’s next secretary of state will have the final say on when Georgians vote. #gapol www.ajc.com/politics/202...