New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada each gained an additional spot and will have two members on the committee.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa has now officially lost its single seat on the powerful Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws Committee that oversees setting the presidential nominating calendar.
Once holding its first-in-the-nation primary status, the state lost that position in 2023 after a messy 2020 presidential caucus and the DNC elevated South Carolina to the front.
New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, which make up early voting, each gained an additional spot and will have two members on the committee.
“The DNC is committed to running a fair, transparent, and rigorous process for the 2028 primary calendar,” said Abhi Rahman, deputy communications director for the DNC. “All states will have an opportunity to participate. Iowa’s DNC members and Chair Rita Hart are fierce advocates for Iowa Democrats and they will have their voices heard during that process.”
In response to Iowa Democrats losing the seat, Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann said in a press release: “Rita Hart managed to pull off the unthinkable: she took Iowa from first-in-the-nation to the political graveyard without breaking a sweat. I’ve worked with five democratic chairs. This administration is by far the weakest. When it mattered most, they didn’t fight—they rolled over and leaders in their party, like rob sand, stayed silent.”
