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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois Legislature passes record-high $55.1 billion budget
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois legislators passed a record-high $55.1 billion state budget early Sunday. 'The passage of the FY26 balanced budget is a testament to Illinois' fiscal responsibility,' said Governor JB Pritzker. 'Even in the face of Trump and Congressional Republicans stalling the national economy, our state budget delivers for working families without raising their taxes while protecting the progress we are making for our long-term fiscal health. I'm grateful to Speaker Welch, President Harmon, the budget teams, and all the legislators and stakeholders who collaborated to shape and pass this legislation. I look forward to signing my seventh balanced budget in a row and continuing to build a stronger Illinois.' Democrats, such as Sen. Laura Ellman (D-Naperville), said, 'This budget allocates investments in priority areas – putting Illinois on the right path to fiscal responsibility and meeting fiscal obligations. We are continuing our commitment to evidence-based funding and education, significantly support Medicaid access, preserving employee pensions and wages, as well as furthering the economic health of our state through investments in our workforce programs and state infrastructure.' Critics, including the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, say the budget includes more than $350 million in new taxes, including corporate income tax increases, gaming taxes, short-term rental taxes, nicotine taxes, telecommunication taxes, and increased fees. 'Starting January 1, 2026, customers would pay a delivery tax on most deliveries to their homes — $1.50 at a time,' Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley) said. 'It's a regressive tax that would hit working families, seniors, people who simply can't afford a car and those on fixed incomes the hardest. For families just trying to make ends meet, it would be yet another burden they didn't ask for.' The budget contains funding for the , redevelopment of the Singer Mental Health Center, allow Stellantis flexibility to reopen the Belvidere Assembly Plant, and includes increased funding for local K-12 schools, according to Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). The budget allows $500 million in funding for site readiness initiatives, including the Surplus to Success program, which will be used to make state-owned sites, such as the abandoned , 'shovel ready' for new development. The plan secures $275 million from the Capital Investments program for the Rockford to Chicago , which is expected to be operational by 2027. The announced plan was to run two trains, seven days a week. The trip to Chicago is expected to take 95 minutes. The location of the station will be on South Main Street, just south of downtown, on the Union Pacific line. IDOT said the line will connect Rockford to Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Carbondale, and twenty other communities in between. Additionally, the budget includes enhancements to the Advanced Innovative Manufacturing for Illinois Tax Credit and the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV) programs to include additional supply chain industries for electric vehicles. The budget doubles the Illinois Child Tax Credit to $600 per child for eligible families with children under the age of 12. Scholarships and grant funding through MAP grants will increase by $10 million to $771.6 million annually. Operating funding for pubic universities and community colleges will increase $44 million, and the state will maintain $748 million in annual spending for Smart Start Early Childhood Block Grants, which has created 11,000 new preschool seats in the last 2 years. A new Prescription Drug Affordability Fund will use $25 million for pharmacy benefits, while the Medical Debt Relief Program will use $15 million to pay down medical debt for Illinois residents. The budget allows $24 million for reproductive health initiatives, including abortion, which includes $10 million for a public hotline. Additionally, the budget expands abortion rights by shielding Illinois abortion providers from punishment for providing services to college students. The budget also plans to streamline college admissions by proactively offering admission to Illinois public universities based on academic performance. The state will spend an additional $46 million on gun violence reduction programs. 'We've delivered another balanced budget that addresses Illinois' challenges head on, while maintaining fiscal responsibility. I'm proud to support a budget that does not raise income or sales taxes, supports working men and women and boosts economic development in the Rockford-Belvidere area,' said Stadelman. An analysis from the Illinois Policy Institute showed the budget will implement a $43 million property tax hike by cutting the Property Tax Relief Grant; divert $171 million in gas tax revenue from the Road Fund to pay state employee healh care, and create $394 million in tax increases. 'As a result, the budget will push Illinois' nation-leading property taxes even higher and worsen the state's fiscal standing. The budget also increases pension benefits for public sector workers by more than $13 billion, yet at the same time shorts the state's annual pension payment by over $5 billion, according to the plans' actuaries. These decisions put retirements at risk, especially if the market sees another significant downturn,' said Illinois Policy Institute's fiscal and economic analysis director Bryce Hill. Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park), said state Democrats chose to fund projects in their own district, and give millions in taxpayer funder benefits for undocumented migrants at the expense of families, small businesses, and law enforcement. 'This budget doesn't reflect Illinois values—it reflects bad governance,' said Cabello. 'Every dollar spent on enabling Illinois' financial crisis is a dollar taken away from the law-abiding Illinoisans who pay their taxes, play by the rules, and now feel abandoned by their government.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Clock ticking for Illinois lawmakers to pass state budget, transit funding before spring session ends
With just hours until a crucial deadline, Illinois state lawmakers were working to pass a $55 billion state budget plan for the next fiscal year. The budget plan unveiled Friday night by Democratic leadership would include new taxes on gambling as well as tobacco and vape products. Another source of new revenue in the budget proposal is a delinquent tax payment incentive program. The program is designed to help the state recover overdue tax payments. The program was proposed by Gov. JB Pritzker and is estimated to generate about $198 million in revenue. A health care program that provides benefits to undocumented immigrants in Illinois between ages 42 and 64 also appears to be eliminated. Pritzker proposed eliminating the program to save the state $330 million. The proposed budget also provides $307 million in additional funding for K-12 schools, but does not include $43 million in property tax relief funds called for under the state's evidence-based school funding model. Chicagoans also have been keeping an eye on additional state funding for the area's mass transit system. Transit officials have said the system is facing a $770 million budget deficit in 2026, and if state lawmakers don't come up with that funding by the end of the spring legislative session Saturday night, CTA, Metra, and Pace must start laying out plans for service cuts of up to 40% for next year. "I think right now, there's wide understanding that we can't have these draconian 40% cuts. I mean, it just would be very painful, disruptive for the city. The economy would really suffer at the same time," DePaul University professor and transportation expert Joe Schwieterman said. Lawmakers spent hours Thursday debating another bill that would overhaul the state's mass transit system, but that bill did not include provisions to address the looming RTA fiscal cliff. That bill, instead, focuses on reforming the structure and governance of the Chicago area's mass transit system, and would replace the RTA with a new organization called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. Technically, the money doesn't run out until the end of the year, and there will likely be a veto session that could provide another shot at an 11th-hour rescue. But transportation officials say they'll have to start laying out the specific cuts next week if the funding doesn't come through by then. With no end yet in sight as of Saturday afternoon, Illinois Senate Republicans expressed their frustrations with the Democratic-led budget process. "In less than nine hours, the Democrats are going to file over $1 billion in tax increases. The public are not going to see it until it is filed. They are going to pass it through the House and pass it through the Senate," Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran said. The state's new fiscal year begins on July 1. If the House and Senate don't pass a balanced budget by midnight Saturday night, they will need a three-fifths majority to approve a budget plan, rather than a simple majority. Ben Szalinski and Jerry Nowicki of Capitol News Illinois contributed to this report
Fox News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Less than 4 months into Trump's 2nd term, Dems are already eyeing the 2028 race
Print Close By Paul Steinhauser Published May 13, 2025 President Donald Trump has not even hit the four-month mark yet in his second tour of duty in the White House, but that is not stopping Democrats from already looking ahead to the 2028 presidential campaign. The very early moves in the next White House race by potential presidential contenders are clearly underway. The latest comes from 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who later served as Transportation secretary in former President Joe Biden's administration. He is headlining a town hall with veterans on Tuesday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Iowa's caucuses for half a century kicked off both major political parties' presidential nominating calendars until the Democratic National Committee (DNC) demoted the Hawkeye State on their 2024 schedule. TRUMP'S APPROVAL RATINGS SLIDE, BUT DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S POLLS HIT ALL-TIME LOWS Another potential contender, two-term Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, late last month, gave the keynote address at a major state party fundraising gala in New Hampshire, the state that for a century has held the first primary in the race for the White House. Even though he says he is not laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential run, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore later this month will headline a major state party fundraising dinner in South Carolina, which the DNC anointed last cycle as their lead-off contest on the primary calendar. Also making noise is two-term Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who said recently he would consider running for president if he felt he could successfully unite the country. WHAT BERNIE SANDERS SAID IN A FOX NEWS DIGITAL INTERVIEW Additionally, progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York grabbed plenty of attention the past couple of months, co-headlining a slew of large rallies across the country with longtime progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, which sparked plenty of 2028 speculation. The Democratic Party has been in the political wilderness since last November's election setbacks, when Republicans won back control of the White House and the Senate and defended their fragile House majority. Republicans additionally made gains among Black and Hispanic voters as well as younger voters, all traditional members of the Democratic Party's base. Since Trump's return to power, an increasingly angry and energized base of Democrats has been pushing for party leaders to take a stronger stand in pushing back against the president's sweeping and controversial agenda during the opening months of his second administration. Democrats are not only looking ahead to next year's midterms, when they hope to make ballot box gains, but also to the next presidential race. "There was a sense of hopelessness earlier this year among Democrats, as Trump came in with his wrecking ball, and it seemed like there was nothing but futile opposition to him," longtime Democratic strategist and communication Chris Moyer told Fox News. "So thinking about a presidential race with potential candidates is a way to get some hope back and look towards a future that doesn't include Trump." Moyer, a veteran of a handful of Democratic presidential campaigns, said the race is "wide open, and it won't be long before we see clear maneuvering from a litany of candidates." The results of the 2026 midterm elections will have a major impact on the shape of the next White House race, too. For now, however, here is an early look at Democrats considered to be potential 2028 presidential contenders. Kamala Harris After lying low as the Biden administration came to a close, former Vice President Kamala Harris has picked up the political pace of late, including headlining a major DNC fundraiser last week in New York City. Among her campaign options that she is weighing is a 2026 run for the open governor's seat in her home state of California and another bid in 2028 for the White House. A source in the former vice president's political orbit confirmed to Fox News Digital two months ago that Harris had told allies she would decide by the end of summer on whether to launch a 2026 gubernatorial campaign. Harris served as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general and represented the Golden State in the U.S. Senate before joining Biden's 2020 ticket and winning election as vice president. Additionally, Harris would be considered the clear frontrunner for governor in heavily blue California in the race to succeed term-limited Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom. However, early polling in the 2028 Democratic nomination race indicates that Harris would be the frontrunner, thanks in part to her name recognition within her party. While there are plenty of voices within the party who would like to move on from the Biden/Harris era following Trump's sweeping victory, and there is little history of Democrats yearning for past defeated presidential nominees, Trump has re-written the rules when it comes to defeated White House contenders making another run. Potential buyers' remorse of a second Trump administration could boost the 60-year-old Harris in the years to come. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York The progressive "rock star" and best-known lawmaker among the so-called "Squad" of diverse House Democrats in October turned 35, the minimum age to run for president. Some Democrats argue that a riveting messenger with star power is needed as the party's next nominee, and Ocasio-Cortez is guaranteed to grab plenty of attention if she ultimately decides to run. There is also speculation the four-term federal lawmaker from New York City may primary challenge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York when he is up for re-election in 2028. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California California Gov. Gavin Newsom was a top surrogate for Biden during the president's re-election bid. With the blessing of the White House, the two-term California governor debated then-Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year on Fox News. Newsom's travels on behalf of Biden brought him to New Hampshire and South Carolina, two crucial early voting states on the Democratic Party's nominating calendar. After Harris, his friend and fellow Californian, replaced Biden atop the Democrats' 2024 ticket, the governor continued — after a pause — his efforts to keep Trump from returning to the White House. While Newsom and California's Democrat-dominated legislature took action to "Trump-proof" the Golden State, the governor has also worked with Trump on key matters, including January's wildfires that devastated parts of metropolitan Los Angeles. Newsom also appears to have moderated on some issues and invited well-known Trump allies Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon on his weekly podcast. The 57-year-old Newsom, who is term-limited, completes his duties in Sacramento at the end of next year, right around the time the 2028 presidential election will start to heat up. Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has become a leading voice in the Democrats' opposition to Trump and has taken steps to Trump-proof his solidly blue state. "You come for my people, you come through me," Pritzker told reporters of his efforts to protect Illinois. Pritzker was also a high-profile surrogate on behalf of Biden and then Harris during the 2024 cycle. Those efforts brought Pritzker to Nevada, a general election battleground state and an early-voting Democratic presidential primary state, and New Hampshire. Additionally, the governor's recent trip to New Hampshire sparked more 2028 buzz. However, before he makes any decision about 2028, the 60-year-old governor must decide whether he will run in 2026 for a third term steering Illinois. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan Two-term Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer grabbed plenty of attention and became a Democratic Party rising star in 2020 when she feuded with Trump over COVID-19 federal assistance and survived a foiled kidnapping attempt. Trump, at the time, called her "that woman from Michigan." Along with Newsom and Pritzker, Whitmer's name was floated as a possible replacement for Biden following his disastrous debate performance against Trump in late June, before the president endorsed Harris and the party instantly coalesced around the vice president. Whitmer was a leading surrogate for Biden and then for Harris and made a big impression on Democratic activists during a stop this summer in New Hampshire on behalf of Harris. However, Whitmer was criticized by some in her party for appearing to cozy up to Trump during a White House visit earlier this spring. The 53-year-old governor is term-limited and will leave office after the end of next year. Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, the 51-year-old first-term governor of Pennsylvania, was on Harris' short-list for vice presidential nominee. Even though the vice president named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Shapiro remained a top surrogate on behalf of his party's 2024 national ticket. However, his two-day swing in New Hampshire during the final full week ahead of Election Day did raise some eyebrows and 2028 speculation. After Harris lost battleground Pennsylvania to Trump, there was plenty of talk within the party that Harris had made the wrong choice for her running mate. Shapiro, who has a track record of taking on the first Trump administration as Pennsylvania attorney general, is expected to play a similar role with Trump back in the White House. The governor will be up for re-election in 2026. Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is considered by many to be another Democratic Party rising star. The 46-year-old Army veteran, Rhodes Scholar and CEO of the charitable organization the Robin Hood Foundation during the coronavirus pandemic was elected two years ago. Even though Moore said in a recent interview on "The View" that he's "not running" in 2028, speculation persists, fueled in part because of his upcoming stop in South Carolina. Moore will be up for re-election in 2026. Pete Buttigieg Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who surpassed expectations during his 2020 Democratic presidential nomination run, was a very active surrogate on behalf of Biden and later Harris, during the 2024 cycle. He helped raise a lot of money for the Democratic Party ticket, including heading a top-dollar fundraiser in New Hampshire. The 43-year-old former South Bend, Indiana, mayor and former naval officer who served in the war in Afghanistan, is considered one of the party's biggest and brightest stars. He was known as a top communicator for the administration, including making frequent appearances on Fox News. Fueling buzz about a potential 2028 presidential run, Buttigieg passed on a 2026 Senate bid in his adopted home state of Michigan and made a high-profile stop in Iowa on Tuesday. Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, 47, who was elected governor in 2019 and then re-elected in 2023 in red-state Kentucky, was also on Harris' longer list for potential running mates. Beshear made plenty of new friends and contacts as he ventured to New Hampshire last month to headline the state Democratic Party's annual fall fundraising gala. He served as Kentucky's attorney general before running for governor. Beshear said last week in an interview with local state WDRB that "if you'd asked me a couple years ago if this is something I'd consider, I probably wouldn't have. But I don't want to leave a broken country to my kids. And so, if I'm somebody that can bring this nation together, hopefully find some common ground, it's something I'll consider." Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, 55, is a major player in Washington as the Democratic minority in the Senate fights back against the second Trump administration. Warnock, who won Senate elections in 2020 and 2022 in battleground Georgia, served as senior pastor at the famed Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Martin Luther King Jr. once preached. He is up for re-election in the Senate in 2028. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, is considered one of the party's most talented orators. Thanks to his 2020 run, Booker made plenty of friends and allies in such early states as New Hampshire and South Carolina. Booker made headlines six weeks ago by delivering a record-breaking 25-hour and 5-minute marathon speech from the floor of the Senate. The speech protested the sweeping and controversial moves so far by Trump during his second administration, as well as the operations of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. The 56-year-old senator is up for re-election in 2026. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut Since the November election, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut has been very vocal about the steps Democrats need to take to win back working-class voters. First elected to the House in 2006 and later to the Senate in 2012, the 51-year-old Murphy cruised to re-election this year by nearly 20 points, which means he would not have to decide between a re-election bid and a White House run in 2028. Rep. Ro Khanna of California Rep. Ro Khanna, 48, was a tireless surrogate on behalf of Biden and then Harris. He has been a regular visitor to New Hampshire in the past couple of years, including a high-profile debate last year against then-GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Khanna has grabbed plenty of attention so far this year as he has held town halls in Republican-controlled congressional districts and targeted Vice President JD Vance with events in the vice president's home state of Ohio and at Yale Law School, where both politicians earned their legal degrees. Stephen A. Smith The 57-year-old sports TV personality, sports radio host, sports journalist, and actor has grabbed a ton of attention this year as he has mulled a White House run and has even grabbed Trump's attention. Mark Cuban Another potential contender with plenty of star power is Mark Cuban. The billionaire business mogul and part-owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks' was a high-profile surrogate for Harris during her presidential election campaign. Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, 67, who at the beginning of the year finished up his eighth and final year as governor, took his name out of the Harris running mate speculation early in the process last summer. Cooper served 16 years as North Carolina's attorney general before winning election as governor. The former governor is being heavily recruited by Democrats to try and flip a GOP-held Senate seat in North Carolina in next year's midterms. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, 65, is halfway through her second term steering New Mexico. The governor, a former member of Congress, was a high-profile and busy surrogate on behalf of Harris during the final weeks of the 2024 campaign. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz The 61-year-old Minnesota governor, who served as Harris' running mate, has two years remaining in his second term in office. While the vice presidential nominee's energy and enthusiasm on the campaign trail this year impressed plenty of Democratic strategists, the final results of the election will make any potential future national run for Tim Walz difficult. Walz has said he is not thinking of 2028, but he has been very busy so far this year heading events across the country, and an upcoming stop in South Carolina is fueling more White House buzz. Three other names keep coming up — Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey and former Chicago mayor, former congressman, former White House chief of staff and former ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, and Sen. Ruben Gallego of battleground Arizona. Print Close URL
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Walz to Speak at 2 Democratic Events, as Jockeying for 2028 Begins
Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota will speak at the state political conventions for Democrats in South Carolina and California at the end of this month, his latest effort to place himself in front of voters likely to be central to his party's 2028 presidential nominating contest. Mr. Walz, who was his party's nominee for vice president last year, will deliver speeches at the two state conventions on the same day — May 31 — which his aides portrayed as a feat of political stamina and private air travel between Columbia, S.C., and Anaheim, Calif. Since March, Mr. Walz has traveled throughout states President Trump won last year to hold town halls and address largely Democratic crowds in Republican congressional districts. Governor Walz spoke to the Democratic convention in Montana, where his daughter lives, and is also scheduled to speak to South Dakota Democrats in July. South Carolina has for decades been near the front of the Democratic Party's nominating calendar, and former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. pushed for the state to go first in the 2024 contest. California has by far the largest trove of delegates in the Democratic primary. Democrats are not expected to set the order of states for their 2028 primaries until next year, but the party's likely hopefuls have been flocking to states that have long been at the start of the nominating process. Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois spoke last month in New Hampshire, and Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland is scheduled to speak to South Carolina Democrats the day before Mr. Walz does. Pete Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary and a 2020 presidential hopeful, is set to hold a town hall event Tuesday in Iowa, where Mr. Walz has also held events. Senator Bernie Sanders, a liberal independent of Vermont, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, have also crisscrossed the country, drawing tens of thousands of people to rallies in red and blue states alike. Mr. Walz said in February that he was 'not ruling out' a 2028 presidential run and has done little since then to bat down the idea that he is preparing for a national campaign. It is expected, but not yet official, that he will seek a third term as governor next year. In recent weeks he has been a frequent presence on cable television and on liberal podcasts denouncing the Trump administration's actions. He even appeared on the podcast of the California governor, Gavin Newsom, scolding him after the fellow Democrat hosted far-right Trump allies, like Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, on his show. 'I can't message to misogynists,' Mr. Walz said. Mr. Newsom is not expected to appear at the California Democratic Party's convention.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Before they name a 2028 nominee, Democrats will have to decide which state will weigh in first
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Before they can name their next presidential nominee, Democrats will have to decide which state will weigh in first. In 2022, President Joe Biden forced a shake-up of the 2024 election calendar, moving South Carolina's primary ahead of contests in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Officials in those traditionally four early-voting states are now positioning themselves to get top billing nearly two years before the Democratic National Committee solidifies the order. Others may make a play, too. It's a fraught choice for a party already wrestling with questions about its direction after losing November's White House election to Republican Donald Trump. Each state offers advantages to different candidates and elevates — or diminishes — different parts of the Democratic base. For now, 2028 prospects are making early-state visits, giving a glimpse into what they may see as their own path to the nomination. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was the keynote speaker at adinner last month for New Hampshire Democrats, visiting a majority white state known for its engaged electorate and independent streak. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, the state's first Black governor, will appear later this month at a similar party event in South Carolina, where Black voters are the party's most influential voting group. Pete Buttigieg will join a VoteVets Action Fund gathering in Iowa on Tuesday, marking the former presidential candidate's first public in-person event since leaving his post as Biden's transportation secretary. Buttigieg performed well in the 2020 caucuses, which were marred by technical glitches that prevented the declaration of a winner. Iowa looks past snub for 'fair' shot in 2028 Biden and others pushed to open the 2024 cycle with a more diverse state than traditional leadoff Iowa, which is 90% white, according to census data. Gone was a five-decade institution of Iowa Democrats engaging in a one-night spectacle where community members publicly signaled their support for a candidate. Last year, they held caucuses eight days before any other state's contest, as is required by Iowa law. But Democratic voters had cast their 2024 presidential preference ballots by mail, with results released that March on Super Tuesday alongside other states. Biden 'picked the calendar that worked for him,' said Scott Brennan, who serves on the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee and previously chaired the Iowa Democratic Party. 'When you're the president, you can do those things. But I don't know that people in Iowa thought it was very fair.' For now, Iowa Democratic leaders emphasize that their focus is on the 2026 election, when two of Iowa's four congressional districts will be competitive opportunities to unseat Republicans. Democrats have recently struggled on all electoral fronts in Iowa and have significantly diminished party registration numbers, which some blamed on the loss of the caucuses. But Brennan said many Iowa Democrats continue to believe that the presidential nominating process is well served by Iowa's early role in it, even if the 2028 format is up in the air. 'We took everyone at their word that all bets are off for 2028,' Brennan said. 'We expect that there will be a fair process and that we will be given every consideration to be an early state.' Former U.S. Rep. Dave Nagle was more blunt in proposing that the state party commit to first-in-the-nation status regardless, as he did as chair in 1984 when the national party threatened to upend Iowa and New Hampshire's delegate selection process over noncompliance with timing rules. The two states formed an alliance, getting six of the presidential candidates on their side. "All we have to do is look at the Democratic National Committee and say, 'Sorry, we're going first,'" Nagle said. 'It's ours if we have the courage.' New Hampshire survives threats after rebellion New Hampshire rebelled in 2024, holding an unsanctioned primary in January. Biden did not put his name on the ballot or campaign there but won as a write-in. Three months later, the DNC dropped its threat to not seat the state's national convention delegates. Until Biden's formal request of the DNC to approve his proposed calendar, New Hampshire Democrats thought they were in a good place with work behind the scenes, said the state party chairman, Ray Buckley. He said that effort will continue heading into 2028. 'This is going to be much more of a level playing field,' Buckley said. 'There's no reason to come in with a two-ton thumb and put it on the scale.' It does not hurt their case that New Hampshire law requires the primary to be scheduled before any other similar contest. Kathy Sullivan, formerly a state party chair and member of the DNC's rulemaking arm, said it is possible that the 'train has left the station' for Iowa's hope of returning to its first-place position, given the 2020 problems and the fact that it gave in to the DNC in 2024. 'I don't know if that helps them in terms of goodwill or hurts them in that they basically gave up the caucuses,' she said. 'New Hampshire took the opposite tack, we had our primary despite what the DNC said, and our delegates ended up being seated despite the threats.' Never-first Nevada wants top billing Democratic leaders in Nevada, which held its 2024 Democratic primary just days after South Carolina's, have also been pushing to keep their state early in the nominating conversation, although the state's location in the West has traditionally made it less-visited by White House hopefuls. In a December statement, the state party chair, Daniele Monroe-Moreno, pointed to the state's nonwhite population, union representation and education-level diversity as reasons for Nevada to kick off the 2028 calendar. Nevada is 30% Latino, census data shows, and has significant Black and Asian populations. 'If Democrats want to win back working class voters and rebuild our broad coalition of voters of color, we should elevate the most working class and most diverse battleground state in the nation to be the first presidential preference primary for the 2028 cycle,' Monroe-Moreno said. 'Nevada is the battleground state that best reflects our growing nation," she said, and the party "cannot afford to let overwhelmingly college-educated, white or less competitive states start the process of winnowing the field again in 2028.' South Carolina seeks another go at No. 1 As the first-in-the-South primary state, where Black voters play a significant role in Democratic voting, South Carolina long promoted its role in picking a nominee after the first set of contests winnowed the field. But Christale Spain, who is expected to win her second term as state party chair, said she will make the argument to national Democratic leaders that South Carolina should stay in the No. 1 slot. 'It's our plan to really work to stay first in the nation,' Spain said. At the end of May, Moore is set to headline the South Carolina Democratic Party's Blue Palmetto Dinner, a signature fundraiser that has recently hosted Democratic stars as its keynote speakers, including Jennifer Granholm, a former Michigan governor and Biden energy secretary, and Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Raphael Warnock of Georgia. Then-Vice President Kamala Harris used her 2022 speech as an official 'thank you' to South Carolina for providing the key primary support that revived Biden's flagging 2020 presidential campaign after a series of losses in other early-voting states. Spain will have to make her argument anew without Biden in the White House and Jaime Harrison, a South Carolina native who recently ended his term as national Democratic chair, helming the party. 'I think you get what you need from an electorate in South Carolina," Spain said. "All those things matter — the stuff that's happening with the veterans, all our colleges and institutions, the role of Black folks — in a Democratic primary. 'We have more to offer than other states do,' she said. ___ Kinnard reported from Chapin, South Carolina, and Ramer from Concord, New Hampshire.
