A feud between Black and Latino Democratic leaders over which state should kickstart the 2028 presidential primary has burst into open conflict, threatening to deepen existing party divisions at a moment when unity is essential.
The dispute centers on whether South Carolina or Nevada should lead the nominating process. South Carolina, the choice in 2024, has a large Black population. Nevada, with its significant Latino voter base, is pushing for top billing. The two states have emerged as the primary contenders for the coveted first slot, according to interviews with seven members of the Democratic National Committee, state party officials, and strategists.
The stakes are enormous. Which state votes first can give certain candidates a decisive edge before the race takes on national dimensions. Early voting states historically shape momentum, candidate viability, and ultimately which contender secures the nomination.
Rev. Al Sharpton issued a blunt statement Wednesday defending South Carolina's position. "To turn around now and push South Carolina to the back of the line would be a slap in the face to the very voters who've kept this party alive," he said, framing the question as one of recognition and respect for Black voters who have anchored Democratic victories.
Christale Spain, chair of South Carolina's Democratic Party, amplified the concern. "If Nevada gets elevated over South Carolina, it would be because of their Latino vote. So you would then be telling Black voters that you matter less than brown voters," she told The New York Times. Spain later connected the battle to broader threats. "The Trump administration and Republicans have been very clear-eyed about attacking Black political power. I think that it's important that we do recognize where we are in this moment."
The Latino counterargument came in a letter signed by more than two dozen Latino leaders, including executives from Voto Latino and the Latino Victory Project. They pressed the DNC's rules panel to select Nevada, arguing that "Latino voters are driving growth of the electorate" and that the state reflects the nation's demographic diversity better than alternatives.
Nevada's Democratic chair, Daniele Monroe-Moreno, a Black woman and the first Black chair of the state party, tried to cool tensions while holding her ground. She told Axios that Spain remains her friend regardless of the outcome. "It's not about any state over another," Monroe-Moreno said. She emphasized that Black voters nationwide, not just in one state, have anchored Democratic success, suggesting the argument shouldn't pit two crucial voting blocs against each other.
The conflict arrives as the Democratic Party already grapples with internal schisms between its centrist establishment and a rising progressive wing. Committee member Donna Brazile, long a voice for ensuring southern states maintain prominence in primary scheduling, proposed delaying a final vote past November 3 to allow midterm election results to inform the decision.
The timing matters. If Harris runs, early South Carolina dominance could prove decisive since she currently leads potential 2028 primary fields by wide margins among Black voters. Nevada's outcome is murkier. Bernie Sanders won the state comfortably in 2020, and progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been weighing a White House run. But Nevada ditched its caucus format after 2020 in favor of a primary system, which some Democrats believe diminishes progressive advantages.
Thursday's meeting of the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee will address the calendar. The committee's decision carries substantial weight in determining primary order, making it a genuine pivot point for the 2028 race.
Author James Rodriguez: "This isn't really about competing victimhood claims between two Democratic constituencies, it's about who gets to set the tone for the entire nomination process, and that's power."
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