New Hampshire Primary
New Hampshire's presidential primary, which has historically been the first primary election in the nation each presidential cycle.
New Hampshire has held the first-in-the-nation presidential primary for decades, a status enshrined in state law. New Hampshire law requires its primary be held before any similar contest, which has forced it to move earlier whenever other states attempt to schedule their own early primaries.
Because it is among the first tests of candidate viability, the New Hampshire primary attracts heavy campaign investment and intense media scrutiny. Candidates who perform poorly often face pressure to withdraw from the race.
New Hampshire is a relatively small state and its demographics may not fully represent the national electorate, which critics cite as a limitation of its outsize influence. For 2028, New Hampshire is second in the RNC's early-state order (after the Iowa caucuses) and third on the Democratic calendar, voting on February 8, 2028 after South Carolina and Nevada.
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A state-run election in which voters choose their party's nominee for president by selecting among competing candidates.
The phrase describing the state or contest that holds its presidential primary or caucus before all others in a given election cycle.
Iowa's presidential nominating contest, which historically was held first in the nation and used a caucus format rather than a standard primary ballot.