Democrats teed up South Carolina to lead a six-state gantlet of early presidential contests, sealing a 2028 road map that pushes Black and Latino voters and labor to the front of the line for choosing the party’s next national leader.

After discussions in Texas, the Democratic National Committee formally anointed South Carolina, with its large African American primary electorate, as the first-in-the-nation state. It will be followed by Nevada, with high numbers of Latinos and powerful labor interests. Next up are New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and then Virginia.