In the past, Iowa and New Hampshire have been the states to watch but NC’s history as a battleground state primes it for an early election.
RALEIGH, N.C. โ North Carolina is one of 12 states the Democratic National Committee is considering for an early primary election.ย
In Oct. 2025, the DNC passed a resolution to decide on which states it wanted to host First in the Nation Democratic primary presidential elections in the early window. These elections usually occur in January while the rest of the country holds theirs in March.ย
The results of early primaries are intensely watched. Politicians pay special attention to these states, campaigning aggressively so polling numbers show in their favor.ย
In 2024, Iowa and New Hampshire were the states to watch.ย
Both held early Republican presidential primaries. Then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump campaigned heavily in Iowa, holding several rallies and speaking engagements between 2023 and 2024. He won the primary in both states, in second was former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.ย
Democrats are looking to choose four to five states to represent four regions of the United States: East, Midwest, South and West.ย
In the running next to North Carolina are Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.ย
Along with Iowa and New Hampshire, South Carolina has participated in recent early primaries.ย
Both parties argue North Carolina is a prime candidate for an early primary due to its extensive history as a battleground state and diverse demographics.ย
In December 2025, former Biden White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates and former RNC Communications Director Doug Heye appeared on NBC News to discuss the merits of North Carolina from both perspectives.ย
Bates mentions how important the South as a region, with 1 in 3 Americans living here. North Carolina’s demographics provide a strong sample of the region for Democrats to focus on, especially with a population over 11 million and growing.ย
Heye pointed out that while Trump won the state in three elections, the margin remained slim each time. The Tar Heel state is also famously purple for choosing a Democratic governor while holding down that slim Republican majority.ย
Meanwhile, Iowa and New Hampshire measure 89% and 92% white respectively, according to 2024 U.S. Census data, and typically vote either red or blue down the ballot.ย
As a part of the selection process, the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee will assess each state’s diversity, to test how well candidates will perform in multiple age ranges and racial lines, affordability and whether the state can host fair and transparent elections.ย
The latter leg may prove difficult for North Carolina, Washington Post reporter Maeve Reston pointed out on X.ย
“As swing states if Republicans are in power in their states, they could mess with Dems ability to set their election date when the DNC wants them to set it,” Reston wrote. “DNC members are worried about creating calendar uncertainty. So in the next round, it will be up to those states to prove that they can get Republicans to cooperate.”ย
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