°µÍø½ûÇø

The state party's criticism came with an open threat of defying the national party’s orders in 2028 as Iowa Democrats look to bring the , Midwestern state back on the radar of a party its values, direction and .

“It was a big mistake in the Biden calendar to know that Iowa Republicans are going first here in this state and that, as Democrats, we sat and watched all this attention and the millions of dollars being spent in the state without those kinds of resources to push back on the Republican agenda," said Rita Hart, state party chair. “That did not help us here in Iowa and it did not help us long term for the national Democratic cause.�

Hart said that would be reflected in her own response to the state party's new survey, designed to solicit feedback from Democrats across the state on the priorities for 2028, including on the tradeoffs of the traditional caucus process and potential threats from the Democratic National Committee.

Officials in the traditionally four early-voting states — and many others — are readying themselves to , even though it's likely still two years before the Democratic National Committee actually solidifies the order. Iowa Democrats said Thursday that Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, might unveil the process for states to make their 2028 pitch at next week’s biannual meetings.

Democratic officials said they expect to have preliminary conversations next week.

But Iowa's Scott Brennan will no longer be a member of the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, which deals with the nominating process. That leaves Iowa without a seat at the table for the first time for the better part of 25 years, Brennan said.

Brennan, former state party chair, said Iowans are “rule followers by nature� but reiterated Thursday that last cycle's process was not fair as he conveyed his own wishes for 2028: "Full speed ahead and damn the DNC."

Last year, Iowa Democrats held caucuses eight days before any other state’s contest, as is required by Iowa law. But Democratic voters had cast their 2024 presidential preference ballots by mail, with results released that March on Super Tuesday alongside other states.

Meanwhile, New Hampshire rebelled in 2024, holding an unsanctioned primary in January, but the DNC ultimately dropped its threat to not seat the state’s national convention delegates.

Even as the Iowa Democratic Party considers going forward with a first-in-the-nation contest once again, it will still come with logistical questions. The survey includes questions on how the party should handle issues of for the process, which has historically required participants to be registered with the party and physically present, sometimes for hours, in the evening during the heart of the Midwest winter.

While Hart said the survey is designed to better understand Iowa Democrats' values to guide their approach to 2028, she suggested there are “too many moving pieces� to say now how that approach will look.

For now, 2028 prospects are making visits to the historically early states, including Iowa. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz reemerged after the 2024 election loss with a in March; Biden's Transportation Secretary , who performed well in the 2020 Iowa caucuses, a VoteVets Action Fund gathering in May; and Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona in eastern Iowa earlier this month.

Brennan seemed to suggest Iowa Democrats' future is simple.

“The fact of the matter is is that Iowa law requires that we be a caucus,� he said, "and I think we intend to be a caucus.�