The numbers: The 2028 Republican primary calendar opens with Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, then South Carolina, the order the Republican National Committee set on September 10, 2026. Those four may hold contests from January 1, 2028. Every other state may vote from March 1 through June 10, 2028, at the latest. As of November 9, 2026, none of the four had announced a 2028 Republican contest date.
Data as of November 9, 2026; this page lists a date only when it is set by state law or official party rules, each with a dated source. Sources listed below.
What’s Set on the 2028 Republican Primary Calendar
The 2028 Republican primary calendar has its order but not its dates. The RNC approved the framework at its September 2026 meeting in Dallas and kept the same early-state lineup used in past cycles, according to the RNC announcement. No states were added, removed or reordered.
What is fixed comes from the Rules of the Republican Party: the four carve-out states, the March 1 start for everyone else, a proportional-allocation rule for contests before March 15, and a hard stop in June. What is not fixed yet is the specific day each state votes. State parties and, in some states, legislatures and election officials still have to set those. For both parties’ dates as they are announced, see the 2028 presidential primary calendar.
2028 Republican Calendar Status by State: Full Table
| State | 2028 GOP status | Earliest allowed | 2028 date | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Alaska | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Arizona | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Arkansas | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| California | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Colorado | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Connecticut | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Delaware | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| District of Columbia | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Florida | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Georgia | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Hawaii | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Idaho | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Illinois | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Indiana | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Iowa | Carve-out, 1st | Jan. 1, 2028 | Not yet set (state party) | RNC Rule 16(c)(1)(i) |
| Kansas | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Kentucky | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Louisiana | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Maine | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Maryland | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Massachusetts | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Michigan | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | State-law primary Feb. 22, 2028; GOP delegate process not yet set | Mich. Comp. Laws 168.613a |
| Minnesota | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Mississippi | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Missouri | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Montana | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Nebraska | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Nevada | Carve-out, 3rd | Jan. 1, 2028 | State-law primary Feb. 1, 2028; GOP delegate process not yet set | Nev. Rev. Stat. 298.650 |
| New Hampshire | Carve-out, 2nd | Jan. 1, 2028 | Not yet set (secretary of state sets date) | N.H. RSA 653:9 |
| New Jersey | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| New Mexico | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| New York | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| North Carolina | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| North Dakota | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Ohio | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Oklahoma | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Oregon | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Pennsylvania | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Rhode Island | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| South Carolina | Carve-out, 4th | Jan. 1, 2028 | Not yet set (state party) | RNC Rule 16(c)(1)(i) |
| South Dakota | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Tennessee | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Texas | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Utah | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Vermont | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Virginia | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Washington | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| West Virginia | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Wisconsin | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
| Wyoming | March 1 window | March 1, 2028 | Not yet confirmed | RNC Rule 16(c)(1) |
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“Not yet confirmed” means this page has not found a 2028 date set by the state party or confirmed by the state’s election office. Many states have standing laws on when a presidential primary is held, and legislatures can change them before a presidential year. Dates will be added here as states confirm them, and the 2028 presidential primary calendar tracks confirmed dates for both parties. The District of Columbia and U.S. territories also send delegates; territory contests are not shown on the map.
The Four Carve-Out States
Rule 16(c)(1) bars any primary, caucus or convention that elects, selects, allocates or binds national convention delegates before March 1. Rule 16(c)(1)(i) exempts Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, which may hold their contests no earlier than January 1 of the convention year. The RNC’s September 10, 2026 vote set their order as Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
- Iowa (1st): The Iowa caucuses keep their first-in-the-nation spot, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported on September 10, 2026. The caucus date has not been announced.
- New Hampshire (2nd): Under RSA 653:9, New Hampshire’s secretary of state sets the primary date at least seven days before any similar contest. No 2028 date has been announced.
- Nevada (3rd): Nevada law sets a state-run presidential preference primary for the first Tuesday in February, which is February 1, 2028. How Nevada Republicans will allocate delegates for 2028 has not been set.
- South Carolina (4th): GOP primary dates have not been chosen, and a decision is expected next year, an RNC member from the state told South Carolina Public Radio on September 14, 2026.
Michigan’s Early State-Law Date
Michigan law sets a statewide presidential primary on the fourth Tuesday in February, which is February 22, 2028. That is before the RNC’s March 1 window for states outside the carve-out four. Because the RNC rule applies to contests that bind or allocate delegates, Michigan Republicans will need to settle how their delegates are tied to that date. As of November 9, 2026, that 2028 process had not been announced. New York’s standing law also sets a presidential primary on the first Tuesday in February, which would be February 1, 2028, “unless otherwise changed by an act of the legislature” (N.Y. Elec. Law § 8-100). New York has moved that date by law in past cycles, so this page does not treat it as set.
Delegate Rules That Shape the Calendar
Timing and delegate rules work together in the 2028 Republican primary calendar. The main ones, all from the Rules of the Republican Party:
- Proportional before March 15: Any contest before March 15, 2028, must allocate delegates proportionally (Rule 16(c)(3)).
- Thresholds: A state may set a minimum share a candidate needs to win delegates, no higher than 20%. A state may also give all of its delegates to a candidate who reaches a set share of the vote, with that threshold no lower than 50% (Rule 16(c)(4)).
- Last day: No contest may be held after the second Saturday in June, which is June 10, 2028, or less than 45 days before the convention, whichever is earlier (Rule 16(c)(2)). The 2028 convention dates had not been announced as of November 9, 2026.
- Penalties: A state that votes too early has its delegation cut to nine delegates plus its RNC members if it has 30 or more delegates, or six plus its RNC members if it has 29 or fewer. Voting too late cuts the delegation by 50% (Rule 17(a)).
- Delegate formula: Each state gets 10 at-large delegates, three per U.S. House district, its three RNC members, and bonus delegates under Rule 14. Final counts are published in the convention call.
The RNC said the only substantive change in the 2028 framework gives states holding later contests more flexibility on delegate allocation. The amended rule text had not been posted with the announcement; this page will add it when the RNC publishes it.
Key Deadlines Before the First Contest
- October 1, 2027: Each Republican state committee must adopt and file its 2028 delegate rules, and no material change to the method or date takes effect after this deadline (Rule 16(f)).
- Before December 1, 2027: The RNC chairman must issue the call for the 2028 convention, including each state’s official delegate count (Rule 13(a)).
- January 1, 2028: The earliest date any carve-out state may vote.
How to Track the 2028 Republican Calendar
- Watch state Republican Party announcements, especially in Iowa and South Carolina, where the party picks the date.
- Watch New Hampshire’s secretary of state, who sets that state’s primary date.
- Watch state legislatures for bills that move presidential primary dates in 2027.
- Check the 2028 presidential primary calendar for confirmed dates for both parties, and the 2028 Democratic primary map for the other party’s early window.
What This Map Does and Doesn’t Tell You
The map shows where each state sits under the RNC’s 2028 rules and which dates are already fixed in state law. It does not show candidates, polling or who is favored. It also does not predict dates that have not been set; a state shaded as a March 1 window state could still vote any day from March 1 through the June deadline.
For the rest of the 2028 map series, see the 2028 Electoral College map, the 2028 swing-state map, the 2028 Senate map, the 2028 Senate open-seat map and the 2028 governor map.
2028 Republican Primary Calendar Questions
Which states vote first in the 2028 Republican primary? Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, in that order, under the RNC’s September 10, 2026 framework.
When is the Iowa Republican caucus in 2028? The date has not been set. Under RNC rules, it can be no earlier than January 1, 2028.
When can other states hold 2028 Republican primaries? From March 1, 2028, through June 10, 2028, at the latest, or earlier if the convention is scheduled less than 45 days after that.
Can a state hold a winner-take-all Republican primary in 2028? Contests before March 15 must be proportional, though a state may award all delegates to a candidate who reaches a threshold of at least 50%. After March 15, states have more options.
When will the full Republican calendar be known? State parties must file their 2028 delegate rules by October 1, 2027, and the RNC must issue the convention call before December 1, 2027.
Sources
- Republican National Committee: RNC Finalizes 2028 Presidential Primary Calendar (September 10, 2026)
- Republican National Committee: Rules of the Republican Party (Rules 12 through 17)
- Nevada Revised Statutes 298.650: presidential preference primary date
- Michigan Compiled Laws 168.613a: statewide presidential primary date
- New Hampshire RSA 653:9: presidential primary election
- Iowa Capital Dispatch: Iowa GOP caucuses first-in-the-nation status approved for 2028 (September 10, 2026)
- South Carolina Public Radio: South Carolina keeps ‘first in the South’ slot on GOP 2028 presidential calendar (September 14, 2026)
