WASHINGTON — Illinois Democratic Party officials came to the nation’s capital Wednesday to argue that the state’s diversity, its record of enacting Democratic priorities and its experience fighting the Trump administration should put it at the front of the line in the party’s 2028 presidential primary calendar.

The pitch came as Illinois competes with Iowa and Michigan for permission from the Democratic National Committee to hold an early presidential contest representing the Midwest. The DNC plans to allow one state from each of four regions — East, Midwest, South and West — to hold an early primary, with a possible fifth “at-large” slot. Twelve states are vying for those openings, and the DNC is not expected to make a final decision until this summer or possibly after the November midterm elections.

“Illinois Democrats are anything but monolithic,” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who in March won the Democratic nomination for the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, said in a video message. “Illinois voters are excited, they are engaged, they are informed, and they want to know that their winning Democratic candidates are proven fighters who will always put working families first.”

Stratton, who defeated two other major candidates, called Illinois a “perfect backdrop for a competitive primary election” because Democrats have enacted so many of the party’s priorities there, including protections for reproductive rights and union-friendly policies.

“We have experienced the cruelty of the Trump administration firsthand,” she said, referring to last year’s Operation Midway Blitz immigration sweeps. “But we’ve also shown the world how to resist. We refuse to let them break our spirit and refuse to turn our back on what makes Illinois truly great.”

“If you’ve cut your teeth in Illinois, you can make it anywhere,” she added. Moving Illinois to the front of the primary calendar could benefit a potential presidential bid by Gov. JB Pritzker. But the Illinois Democratic Party’s delegation made no specific mention of the two-term governor, despite his outsize role in the state’s Democratic politics, other than a quick clip of him drinking a shot of Malört in a promotional video.

The Illinois delegation argued that the state reflected the country as a whole, including sizable Black and Hispanic populations, a strong labor movement, and a mix of urban, suburban and rural communities.

“While Illinois is not considered a traditional battleground state, it mirrors the nation across race, income, education, geography and industry,” said Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernández, a state representative. “Illinois is where President (Barack) Obama built a movement that reached across communities, expanded the electorate, and gave millions of people hope in the future of this country.”

Illinois unsuccessfully sought early-primary status for the 2024 election as Chicago hosted the Democratic National Convention that year. The move followed then-President Joe Biden altering the traditional kickoff Democrats shared with Republicans, which had been Iowa and New Hampshire, following Iowa Democrats’ botched 2020 caucus operation. Biden opted to make South Carolina the Democrats’ first-in-the-nation primary state, advancing Nevada and Michigan in the schedule while dropping Iowa and demoting New Hampshire.

Earlier this month, Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson pitched Chicago to host the DNC again in 2028 during a site visit by national Democratic Party leaders. Other cities under consideration are Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia and Boston.

The Illinois 2028 primary pitch included a tongue-in-cheek video styled as a campaign attack ad calling the state “too big, too diverse, too representative” where “it’s almost like they want people to vote.” The approach seemed to go over well with the DNC committee members, especially a good-natured jab at Iowa and Michigan about being able to handle winter weather.

But Hernández struggled when a committee member asked what made Illinois unique, given that other states touted diverse populations, robust economies and strong union membership.

“I’m really impressed with the census demographic data and how it matches up so closely with the United States,” said DNC committee member Jamie Selzler of North Dakota, who asked representatives of other states how Democrats could better attract rural voters. “I’m struggling to see what is especially unique about Illinois that will help our candidates win.”

Hernández pointed to the party’s campaign infrastructure and the state’s role as a hub for Democratic fundraising.

“You’re going to stop in Illinois, no matter what,” she said.

Another committee member chimed in: “Does the pope vote in Chicago?”

“That too, yes,” Hernández said.

Illinois’ top state legislators — House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon — also sent a video supporting the effort to secure an early primary slot. Welch and Harmon remained in Springfield as the state legislature winds down its work for the year, honoring Durbin on Wednesday and trying to pass a budget by Sunday evening.

The Iowa contingent argued that the Hawkeye State’s rural character gives presidential candidates a chance to connect with voters in ways that better prepare them for the general election, where Democrats have struggled to win over rural voters.

Republicans are already committed to making the Iowa caucuses their first contest in 2028, and delaying the Democratic caucus could reinforce the idea that Democrats don’t prioritize rural voters, the Iowa presenters said.

Iowa Democrats also played up the low barriers to entry for potential candidates there. They said a 30-second TV commercial that would cost $10,000 to air in Detroit or $75,000 in Chicago would only cost $2,500 in Des Moines.

Still, Iowa’s botched 2020 caucus, where problems with technology and organization delayed the results for more than two weeks, remained a concern among the committee members. Several also chafed at the idea that Iowa officials would likely try to hold their caucus first, regardless of whether the DNC gave them the go-ahead.

Michigan representatives described their state as the “ultimate battleground state.” Like Illinois officials, they touted their mix of racial and ethnic communities and their economic diversity. But they said that any investments Democratic candidates made in the early primary process would help Democrats win in the general election, with Michigan a perennial swing state.

Tribune reporter Rick Pearson contributed.