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The left has seen recent success with Latino voters and Black voters under 50, particularly in the Northeast, though it remains unclear if this is enough to win a presidential primary where older Black voters across the South are a key constituency.

Previously, South Carolina played a decisive role as the final contest before the traditional string of primaries on Super Tuesday; however, progressives now argue that under the new calendar, South Carolina may serve more as a culling mechanism than a kingmaker.

Some progressives and even some DNC members believe the move is an effort by the party establishment to stop a left-wing insurgent or a socialist candidate. Conversely, South Carolina Democratic Party chair Christale Spain stated that a progressive candidate, such as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, could absolutely win the state's primary. Furthermore, some Black Democrats viewed the decision as overdue recognition of their importance to the party.

Progressives are concerned because Bernie Sanders, a progressive icon, suffered landslide losses in the South Carolina primaries in both 2016 and 2020. Additionally, Sanders won the 2020 primary in Nevada, the state that was displaced from the top spot.

A powerful DNC panel voted on a Friday to kick off the 2028 presidential primary in South Carolina, which edged out Nevada for the first spot on the schedule. This decision still requires ratification by the full DNC.