Iowa GOP caucuses first-in-the-nation status approved for 2028

 Iowa’s Republican caucuses will again kick off the national presidential nominating calendar in 2028, the Republican National Committee decided Thursday during its midterm convention in Dallas.

The RNC left in place the lineup of previous presidential cycles, with the Iowa caucuses followed by the New Hampshire primary and then contests in Nevada and South Carolina.

 “Today’s vote preserves the path to the Republican presidential nomination and gives our voters a strong voice in the process,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a news release.

Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann chaired the RNC’s Presidential Nominating Process Committee, which recommended preserving the traditional carve-out system for 2028. According to the RNC’s release, “the only substantive change provides additional flexibility for states holding later contests regarding delegate allocation.”

“I’m pleased to announce that Iowa’s First in the Nation status is officially preserved through 2028,” Kaufmann said in a news release. “… Democrats may have abandoned Iowa, but Republicans under President Trump and RNC Chairman Gruters are committed to ensuring the Iowa Caucuses remain a defining part of the presidential nominating process.”

The Democratic National Committee in July denied Iowa Democrats a waiver to hold their presidential caucuses in the early window before Super Tuesday.