Watch: The three things that led to the Iowa caucus disaster

Three things led to a disastrous caucus night for Democrats.

The Des Moines Register

The Democratic National Committee is prioritizing states that can create a "rigorous, efficient and fair" nominating contest as the party considers the order of its 2028 presidential primary calendar ahead of what's expected to be a wide-open race for the White House.

The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee has opened the application process for states that want to be part of the early nominating window in 2028, emphasizing the need to create a system that elevates viable candidates who can win a general election.

"As we go through this process the real question we face is asking each state why including them in the early window, prewindow period, helps us elect a Democratic president and win the election," committee member Stuart Appelbaum said at a Monday, Oct. 27, meeting. "That is the prime criteria that we will be looking at in making our decision."

The committee approved a resolution Oct. 27 that will open a request for proposals from states that wish to hold their presidential primary or caucus ahead of Super Tuesday. Those states must submit their plans to the committee by Jan. 16, 2026.

Iowa Democrats are still toying with going first regardless of what the DNC decides. New Hampshire has signaled it will do the same.

For years, the Democrats' early window of voting included four states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

But following a disastrous 2020 Iowa Caucus plagued by reporting delays and inaccuracies, the DNC voted to remake its calendar.

Then-President Joe Biden recommended that South Carolina replace Iowa at the front of the line, with New Hampshire, Nevada, Georgia and Michigan to follow. The DNC approved that change but suggested it would revisit the order ahead of the 2028 presidential election cycle.

That order is critical in setting the stage for the nominating process, particularly as Democrats face a wide-open field of potential candidates who already are beginning to fan out across the country and lay the early groundwork for possible campaigns.

Rules and Bylaws Committee members approved a resolution at the Oct. 27 meeting outlining three pillars they said would guide their consideration of states' proposals:

* Rigor: "The lineup of early states must be a comprehensive test of candidates with diverse groups of voters that are key to winning general elections."

* Fairness: "The lineup of early states must be affordable and practicable for candidates and not exhaust their resources unreasonably, precluding them from effectively participating in future contests."

* Efficiency: "The practical ability to schedule and run a fair, transparent and inclusive primary or caucus."

Members also emphasized the need for states' plans to be logistically feasible, both in terms of legislative signoff and cost -- "otherwise, it's just a waste of time," committee member Elaine Kamarck said.

In 2024, the DNC approved moving Georgia into the early voting window. But the state, which is led by Republicans, did not move up its primary date.

Committee leaders said they would consider the applications and invite some states to make presentations to the committee before selecting four or five states representing different regions of the country to make up the early voting window.

Jockeying has already begun behind the scenes and in public among the states likely to be in contention for an early voting slot.

As members discussed a phrase in the resolution promoting retail politics, often cited as a benefit of campaigning in smaller states, committee member and Michigan U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, pushed back.

"Retail politics isn't a reality by October," she said. "And we need to see how candidates do in real states, in early states."

Joanne Dowdell, a committee member from New Hampshire, suggested that states also should "need to show their ability to report the results of the election in a timely manner" -- a potential knock against Iowa.

Committee co-chairs Minyon Moore and James Roosevelt Jr. said in a joint statement they are "committed to executing a fair and transparent process that will deliver a battle-tested nominee who will win back the White House for Democrats."

"Today, the RBC took a crucial first step in charting our path for 2028," they said.

Iowa, New Hampshire and others weigh approach as 2028 discussions get underway

In 2024, New Hampshire refused to accept the DNC's official calendar order, and the state held an unsanctioned first-in-the-nation primary ahead of the South Carolina vote.

The DNC originally stripped New Hampshire's delegates to the national convention as punishment but ultimately backtracked and restored them.

The state has once again signaled it intends to put up a fight to go first.

Dowdell said in a message posted to social media that New Hampshire U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan met personally with the newer members of the Rules and Bylaws Committee ahead of the meeting "giving our case for why we should be first in the nation."

The resolution the Rules and Bylaws Committee adopted Oct. 27 includes references to "severe penalties" for state parties and candidates that don't adhere to the agreed-upon calendar.

But state leaders in Iowa have suggested the penalties weren't applied to New Hampshire in 2024 and shouldn't hinder Iowa's decision about how to proceed in 2028.

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart released a survey in August that seeks input from rank-and-file Democrats about the timing of the party's caucuses and whether they feel it's important to comply with the national party's calendar.

Holding a "rogue" unsanctioned caucus is one of the options Iowa Democrats are weighing if they aren't selected by the committee for the early voting window.

The results of that survey are expected to be compiled into a report for the Iowa Democratic Party's State Central Committee meeting in December.

"I am disappointed the DNC is already backtracking on its promise for an open and democratic process by rushing through this proposal," Hart said in a statement. "Whatever fake timeline the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee tries to put on this process, I remain committed to having continued family conversations regarding our Iowa Caucus process with members of our State Central Committee, our campaigns and Democrats across the state."

She said "all options are on the table" as the party weighs where to go next.

In 2024, the Iowa Democratic Party converted its longstanding in-person caucuses into a fully absentee mail-in event.

Iowa Democrats met in person, only to conduct party business the same day Iowa Republicans held their first-in-the-nation caucuses, and they announced the results of their caucus on Super Tuesday in March 2024.

State party leaders had hoped that playing by the DNC's rules in 2024 would help ingratiate them with national Democrats and open the door to a renewed negotiation about their place on the 2028 calendar.

But Iowa's longtime Rules and Bylaws Committee member Scott Brennan was not reappointed to serve on the influential panel, potentially signaling Iowa's waning influence.

On the Republican side, there have not been substantial conversations about changing the nominating calendar. Iowa Republicans are again expected to lead off the process, followed by New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She writes about campaigns, elections and the Iowa Caucuses. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.

Who's first on the 2028 road to White House? Democrats invite states to make their pitch