Superdelegate

Last updated

In American politics, a superdelegate is a delegate to a presidential nominating convention who is seated automatically.

Contents

In Democratic National Conventions, superdelegates—described in formal party rules as the party leaders and elected official (PLEO) category—make up slightly under 15% of all convention delegates. Before 2018, Democratic superdelegates were free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination in all rounds of balloting. (This contrasts with pledged delegates, who were selected based on the party presidential primaries and caucuses in each U.S. state, in which voters choose among candidates for the party's presidential nomination.) In 2018, the Democratic National Committee reduced the influence of superdelegates by barring them from voting on the first ballot at the Democratic National Convention, allowing them to vote only in a contested convention. In 2024, the Democratic National Committee voted to adopt new rules that allowed superdelegates to vote during the signature collection and on the first ballot of a virtual roll call for the presidential nomination, even without a candidate securing a majority of the convention's delegates using only pledged delegates, which were earned by the candidate during the primary process. [1] [2] [3]

In Republican National Conventions, three Republican Party leaders of each state, territory, and Washington D.C. are automatically seated as delegates, but they are pledged to vote according to the results of their party branch's presidential primaries at least on the first ballot. [4]

In Democratic National Conventions

Description of superdelegates

Of all the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, slightly under 15% are superdelegates. [5] According to the Pew Research Center, superdelegates are "the embodiment of the institutional Democratic Party – everyone from former presidents, congressional leaders and big-money fundraisers to mayors, labor leaders and longtime local party functionaries." [5] Democratic superdelegates are formally described (in Rule 9.A) as automatic (or unpledged) party leader and elected official (PLEO) delegates; each falls into one or more of the following categories based on other positions they hold: [6] [7]

  1. Elected members of the Democratic National Committee. [7] Elected DNC members include "the chairs and vice chairs of each state and territorial Democratic Party; 212 national committeemen and committeewomen elected to represent their states; top officials of the DNC itself and several of its auxiliary groups (such as the Democratic Attorneys General Association, the National Federation of Democratic Women and the Young Democrats of America); and 75 at-large members who are nominated by the party chairman and chosen by the full DNC." [5] Most at-large DNC members "are local party leaders, officeholders and donors or representatives of important Democratic constituencies, such as organized labor." [5] At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, there were 437 DNC members (with 433 votes) who were superdelegates. [5]
  2. Democratic governors (including territorial governors and the mayor of the District of Columbia). [7] [5] There were 21 Democratic governors who were superdelegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. [5]
  3. Democratic members of Congress. [7] There were 191 U.S. representatives (including non-voting delegates from Washington, D.C., and territories) and 47 U.S. senators (including Washington, D.C., shadow senators) who were superdelegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. [5]
  4. Any sitting Democratic president or vice president, if applicable. [7]
  5. Distinguished party leaders: consisting of all former Democratic presidents, vice presidents, congressional leaders (Democratic speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives, Democratic minority leaders of the House, and Democratic leaders of the Senate, and DNC chairs). [7] [5] There were 20 of these who were superdelegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. [5]

Because the number of superdelegates depends on the number of Democratic members of Congress and Democratic governors, the exact number of superdelegates may change during the primary season (ahead of the convention) due to officials' deaths, resignations, or special elections. [8] [9]

Not all superdelegates attend the convention. [10] For example, during his time in Congress, Democratic U.S. Representative Jim Matheson skipped every convention. [10] [11] Former Vice President Al Gore skipped the 2016 Convention. [12]

State residency

Under party rules, automatic delegates shall "legally reside in their respective state and ... shall be recognized as part of their state's delegation" (Rule 9.E). [7] For example, in the 2008 convention, former Maine Governor Kenneth M. Curtis was a superdelegate (by virtue of his position as a past DNC chair), but because he had moved to Florida in 2006, he was counted as part of the Florida delegation, not the Maine delegation. [13] [14] [15]

Loss of superdelegate status

Additionally, under party rules, automatic delegates are automatically disqualified if they have "publicly expressed support for the election of, or has endorsed, a presidential candidate of another political party" (Rule 9.E) and no delegate "shall participate or vote in the nominating process for a Democratic presidential candidate who also participates in the nominating processes of any other party for the corresponding elections" (Rule 2.E). [7] Thus, a person who would otherwise qualify as a superdelegate loses his or her superdelegate status by endorsing another party's presidential candidate. In 2008, Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut endorsed Republican John McCain, which, according to the chairwoman of the Connecticut Democratic Party, resulted in his disqualification as a superdelegate. [16] Lieberman's status had, however, previously been questioned because, although he was a registered Democratic voter and caucused with the Democrats, he won re-election as the candidate of the Connecticut for Lieberman Party and was listed as an "Independent Democrat" on the ballot. [17] Lieberman did not attend the Democratic Convention; he was instead a speaker at the Republican Convention. [18]

Comparison with pledged delegates

The remaining 85% of delegates are pledged to a candidate and chosen in primaries and caucuses. [19] Unlike the Republican primary process (in which many states have a "winner-take-all" process, awarding all or most votes to the candidate who wins a plurality of the vote), Democrats follow a proportionality rule. [20] All candidates who received at least 15% of the vote are awarded delegates in proportion to their share of the vote. [21] Most pledged delegates are allotted based on candidates' proportions of the vote at the district level (these generally correspond to congressional districts, but in some states correspond to state senate districts or specially designated "delegate districts"). [21] [22] Additional delegates (the "at-large" delegates) are awarded to candidates based on statewide results. [21] [22] Finally, there are pledged "party leader and elected official" (PLEO) delegates. [21] [22] These are large city mayors, state legislative leaders, and county party officials who are pledged to a certain candidate; like the statewide at-large delegates, pledged PLEO delegates are allocated proportionally to presidential candidates based on the statewide primary or caucus vote. [22] The district, at-large, and PLEO delegates collectively constitute a state or territory's pledged delegation. [22]

Unlike superdelegates, who may support a candidate of their choice, [23] pledged delegates generally must support the candidate to whom they are pledged. [23] Since 1982, the party rules have stated that: "Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them." [23] [7]

If a candidate who has earned pledged delegates drops out before the national convention, then that candidate's delegates who were elected at the district level are released from their obligation to the dropped-out candidate. [24] [25] Pledged delegates who are allocated at the district level to a candidate who subsequently drops out of the race become "free agents": they often support the candidate whom the dropped-out candidate endorses, but are not obligated to do so. [24] [25] By contrast, statewide pledged delegates are usually proportionally reallocated to candidates still in the race at the time when the states formally elect their delegates: this typically takes place at a statewide convention held after the primary or caucus, but before the national convention in mid-summer. [24] [25]

By contrast, many superdelegates choose to announce endorsements, but they are not bound to those preferences, and may support any candidate they wish, including a candidate who has dropped out of the presidential race. [26]

History

Origins

In the aftermath of the chaotic 1968 Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party sought to shift the balance of power in the selection of the party's presidential candidate to primary elections and caucuses, mandating that all delegates be chosen via mechanisms open to all party members; these rules were implemented following the recommendations of the McGovern-Fraser Commission. [27] This increased grassroots control of Democratic conventions. [28] However, after Democratic nominee George McGovern lost in a landslide to Richard Nixon in 1972, [27] and after a decisive fight over the rules at the 1980 convention between supporters of Jimmy Carter and supporters of Edward M. Kennedy, [29] followed by Carter's defeat by Ronald Reagan in 1980, [27] the party changed its nominating rules again. [27]

A commission headed by North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt issued a report in 1982, on a 47–6 vote, to set aside 550 unpledged delegate seats held by party officials, to vote alongside the 3,300 Democratic pledged votes. [28] This partial reversal of the trend toward grassroots control was supported by mainstream party leaders in Congress, as well as organized labor. [28] It increases the power of the institutional party "regulars" against insurgent "outsider" maverick candidates. [27] [29] Their initial proposal to have superdelegates represent 30% of all delegates to the national convention was defeated in favor of a compromise proposal by Geraldine A. Ferraro, in which superdelegates made up about 14% of delegates. [28] [29] The proportion of superdelegates eventually expanded over time, reaching about 20% at the 2008 convention. [29]

1984 and 1988

In 1984, only state party chairs and vice chairs were guaranteed superdelegate status. The remaining spots were divided two ways. Democratic members of Congress were allowed to select up to 60% of their members to fill some of these spots. The remaining positions were left to the state parties to fill with priority given to governors and big-city mayors, led by Democrats and based on population. In the 1984 election, the major contenders for the presidential nomination were Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson, and Walter Mondale. Entering the final handful of primaries on June 5, Mondale was leading Hart in the delegate count, with Jackson far behind. The battle for delegates became more dramatic that night when Hart won three primaries, including the big prize of California in a cliffhanger. The Mondale campaign said, and some news reports agreed, that Mondale secured the needed 1,967 delegates to clinch the nomination that night in spite of losing California. But the Associated Press concluded he was "barely short of the magic majority." Mondale wanted to make it indisputable that he had enough delegate votes, and his campaign set a deadline of one minute before noon; he made 50 calls in three hours to nail down an additional 40 superdelegates and declared at a press conference that he had 2,008 delegate votes. At the convention in July, Mondale won on the first ballot. [30] [31] [32] [33] [34]

In 1988, this process was simplified. Democrats in Congress were now allowed to select up to 80% of their members. All Democratic National Committee members and all Democratic governors were given superdelegate status. This year also saw the addition of the distinguished party leader category (although former DNC chairs were not added to this category until 1996, and former House and Senate minority leaders were not added until 2000). In 1992 was the addition of a category of unpledged "add-ons", a fixed number of spots allocated to the states, intended for other party leaders and elected officials not already covered by the previous categories. Finally, beginning in 1996, all Democratic members of Congress were given superdelegate status. [35] The superdelegates have not always prevailed, however. Howard Dean took an early lead in delegate counts before the first primaries in the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries, [36] but was later defeated by John Kerry, who won a succession of primaries and caucuses and, ultimately, the nomination. In 1988, a study found that delegates selected through the primary and caucus process were not substantively different from superdelegates in terms of issue viewpoints. However, superdelegates are more likely to prefer candidates with Washington experience than outsider candidates. [37]

2008 election

At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, the superdelegates made up approximately one-fifth of the total number of delegates. The closeness of the race between the leading contenders, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, led to speculation that the superdelegates would play a decisive role in selecting the nominee, a prospect that caused unease among some Democratic Party leaders. [38] Obama led in pledged delegates at the end of voting in the state contests while not winning enough to secure the nomination without the superdelegates. [39] In May 2008, however, Obama took the lead in superdelegate endorsements for the first time; [40] Clinton dropped out four days after Obama clinched the nomination. [41]

Pledged delegates from state caucuses and primaries eventually numbered 3,573, casting 3,566 votes, resulting in a total number of delegate votes of 4,419. A candidate needed a majority of that total, or 2,209, to win the nomination. Superdelegates accounted for 19.6% of convention delegates, while delegates chosen in the Democratic caucuses and primaries accounted for approximately four-fifths (80.4%) of the Democratic convention delegates. [42] [43] At the convention, Obama won 3,188.5 delegate votes and Clinton won 1,010.5 with 1 abstention and 218 delegates not voting. [44]

2016 election

In 2016, a campaign for superdelegates was a feature of the campaign between former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination; Sanders' campaigns and his supporters initially criticized the role of superdelegates, the majority of whom favored Clinton. [45] [46] [47] Several mainstream media outlets included superdelegates in the candidate delegate totals during the primary elections although superdelegates do not vote until the convention and may change their minds on whom they are planning to vote for anytime before the convention. The DNC asked media outlets to not include superdelegate pledges in delegate totals, [48] but many outlets, including the Associated Press, NBC, CBS, and Politico, continued to report total pledged delegates, lumping together superdelegates and pledged delegates. Sanders supporters objected to this practice, argued that it inflated Clinton's lead and discouraged Sanders supporters. [49] [50] [51] [52] [53]

Sanders initially said that the candidate with the majority of pledged delegates should be the nominee; in May 2016, after falling behind in the elected delegate count, he shifted, pushed for a contested convention and arguing that, "The responsibility that superdelegates have is to decide what is best for this country and what is best for the Democratic Party." [46] [54] Ultimately, Clinton won the nomination without relying on the votes of superdelegates; she led Sanders by a substantial number of elected delegates (from primary and caucus votes), as well by a substantial margin in the popular vote. [54] [55] She became the presumptive nominee in early June 2016, after the California primary; at the time, Clinton had 1812 pledged delegates and 572 superdelegates, and Sanders had 1520 pledged delegates and 46 superdelegates. [56] Sanders continued to campaign after the last Democratic primary, unsuccessfully seeking to persuade superdelegates to switch their allegiance to him; [46] [57] ultimately, he conceded the race and endorsed Clinton on July 12, 2016. [46]

Reform of superdelegates

DNC Unity Reform Commission (2016–17)

On July 23, 2016, ahead of the 2016 Democratic National Convention, the 2016 DNC Rules Committee voted overwhelmingly (158–6) to adopt a superdelegate reform package. The new rules were the result of a compromise between the Hillary Clinton and the Bernie Sanders presidential campaigns; in the past, Sanders had pressed for the complete elimination of superdelegates. [58]

Under the reform package, a 21-member unity commission, chaired by Clinton supporter Jennifer O'Malley Dillon and vice-chaired by Sanders supporter Larry Cohen, was appointed after the 2016 general election. The commission's recommendations would be voted on at the next Democratic National Committee meeting, well before the beginning of the 2020 Democratic primaries. [58] The commission was to consider "a mix of Clinton and Sanders ideas": expanding the ability of eligible voters to participate in caucuses (an idea supported by Clinton) and expanding the ability of unaffiliated or new voters to join the Democratic Party and vote in Democratic primaries via same-day registration and re-registration (an idea supported by Sanders). [58] The commission drew comparisons to the McGovern–Fraser Commission, which established party primary reforms before the 1972 Democratic National Convention. [58]

By April 2017, the complete commission had been appointed. In accordance with the compromise agreement, the 21 members include, in addition to O'Malley Dillon and Cohen; nine members selected by Clinton, seven selected by Sanders, and three selected by the DNC chair (Tom Perez). [59] By May 2017, the DNC Unity Reform Commission had begun to meet to begin drafting reforms, including superdelegate reform as well as primary calendar and caucus reform. [60]

The commission met in the summer and fall of 2017. [61] Different proposals on superdelegates were considered by the party. One proposal was to bind all or some superdelegates to the results of state primaries and caucuses. [58] [61] Whether to abolish superdelegates altogether remained controversial within the party. [61] In December 2017, the Unity Commission's recommendations [62] were delivered to the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee. [63] Perez and Deputy DNC Chair Keith Ellison co-authored an op-ed for CNN, announcing that the party would make a "significant" cut in the number of superdelegates who vote to decide on the presidential nominee. [64]

Adoption of superdelegate reform (2018)

Ultimately, the DNC decided to prevent superdelegates from voting on the first ballot, instead of reducing their numbers. [65] On August 25, 2018, the DNC approved a plan to reduce the influence of superdelegates by barring them from voting on the first ballot at the Democratic National Convention, allowing them to vote only in a contested convention (i.e., if a Democratic National Convention did not choose the nominee on the first ballot, because no candidate received an absolute majority [more than 50%] of the pledged delegates elected from the outcome of primaries and caucuses). [65] [66] [67] This does not preclude superdelegates from publicly endorsing a candidate of their choosing before the convention. [66]

The plan, which was endorsed by DNC chair Tom Perez, former DNC chair Howard Dean, and other party leaders, passed by an overwhelming margin; the New York Times noted that the compromise was a "rare mind meld between the Democratic establishment and progressive activists who have often chided the party's elite." [65] The only dissenter on the DNC Rules Committee was former DNC chairman Donald L. Fowler, who argued that the existing system worked. [68]

2020 election

The first Democratic presidential primaries cycle under the new 2016–2018 superdelegate reform measures took place in 2020. [66] [67]

2024 election

The Democratic National Committee held a virtual nomination vote in the first week of August 2024 to select its nominee for president. [69] The virtual nomination rules allowed superdelegates to vote for a presidential candidate during the first ballot of the virtual roll call even though no candidate secured an overwhelming majority of pledged delegates earned during the primaries. [70]

Criticism and defenses

The votes of superdelegates have never actually determined the Democratic nominee, [71] [72] although in 1984 they may have helped Walter Mondale win on the first ballot at the convention. [a]

Critics

Critics have assailed superdelegates' role in Democratic National Conventions both before and after the 2017 reforms. Susan Estrich argued in 2008 that superdelegates have more power than other delegates because of their greater freedom to vote as they wish beginning with the first ballot. (Superdelegates' ability to vote on the first ballot was eliminated after the 2017 reform.) [74] U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton's former running mate, said in 2017 that he agreed with Bernie Sanders that superdelegates should be eliminated from the process: "I have long believed there should be no superdelegates. These positions are given undue influence in the popular nominating contest and make the process less democratic." [75] Prominent Democratic strategists Bob Shrum and Bill Carrick have also opposed superdelegates, and called for them to be dropped from the nominating process. [27]

The role of superdelegates in the nominating process has also been criticized as unrepresentative. In 2007, Politico found that about half of the superdelegates were white men, compared to 28% of the Democratic primary electorate. [76] Of the superdelegates at the 2016 Convention, 58% were male and 62% were non-Hispanic white (20% were black and 11% were Hispanic). The average age was about 60. [5] There is no bar on lobbyists serving as DNC members (and thus superdelegates); ABC News found that about 9% of superdelegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention (67 people in all) were former or current lobbyists registered on the federal and state level. [77]

Defenders

Author Jonathan Rauch and political scientist Ray La Raja argued in 2019 that the U.S. has given too much power to primary voters, and that this inflicts harms to democracy. They argue that "the role of superdelegates in the Democratic nomination process could be strengthened instead of weakened" and that this form of early vetting was positive, suggesting that this formal form of the "invisible primary" can be a positive force to counter-balance populism "by restoring the Madisonian pillars of pluralism, checks on power, and deliberative institutions." [78]

In February 2016, U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chair of the Democratic National Committee, defended the role of superdelegates in an interview with Jake Tapper, arguing that unpledged delegates ensure "that party leaders and elected officials don't have to be in a position where they are running against grass-roots activists" and minimizes competition between the two groups. [79]

In Republican National Conventions

In the Republican Party, as in the Democratic Party, members of the party's national committee automatically become delegates. There are three Republican National Committee delegates (the national committeeman, national committeewoman, and party chair) for each state, territory, and Washington, D.C.. [80] [b]

At the 2012 Republican National Convention, convention rules were amended to obligate unpledged RNC members (the "superdelegates") to vote according to the result of the primaries held in their states. [4] [82] Pledged delegates selected by Republican primaries are assigned either on a proportional or a "winner-take-all" basis. [82]

However, if a candidate does not win the party's nomination on the first ballot (i.e., by securing a majority—more than 50%), then some delegates become "unbound" free agents, depending on rules specific to state parties. [82] For most states, delegates are "unbound" as soon as a first ballot concludes without a nominee being selected; for other states (including Texas) delegates are not unbound until a second ballot also fails to produce a majority for a candidate; and delegates from some other states (including Kansas and Alabama) remain bound to their candidate until the candidate releases them. [82] These rules apply to both pledged delegates and superdelegates, meaning that superdelegates would play a role in selecting the nominee at a contested convention. [82]

Superdelegates make up about 7% of all delegates to Republican national conventions. [83] In the 2008 Republican National Convention, 123 RNC delegates among the 2,380 total delegates were not pledged to any candidate. [84] In the 2016 Republican National Convention, 168 delegates among the 2,472 total delegates were "super" (unbound). [82]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States presidential primary</span> Nominating process of candidates for United States presidential elections

Each of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five territories of the United States holds either primary elections or caucuses to help nominate individual candidates for president of the United States. This process is designed to choose the candidates that will represent their political parties in the general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Tuesday</span> Day with many US presidential primary elections

Super Tuesday is the United States presidential primary election day in February or March when the greatest number of U.S. states hold primary elections and caucuses. Approximately one-third of all delegates to the presidential nominating conventions can be won on Super Tuesday, more than on any other day. The results on Super Tuesday are therefore a strong indicator of the likely eventual presidential nominee of each political party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic National Convention</span> Nominating meetings of the US Democratic Party

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention. The primary goal of the Democratic National Convention is to officially nominate a candidate for president and vice president, adopt a comprehensive party platform, and unify the party. Pledged delegates from all fifty U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the American territories, and superdelegates which are unpledged delegates representing the Democratic establishment, attend the convention and cast their votes to choose the party's presidential candidate. Like the Republican National Convention, the Democratic National Convention marks the formal end of the primary election period and the start of the general election season. Since the 1980s, national conventions have become mostly inaugural events for the winning candidate, since winners are announced long before the convention. In 2020, both major parties, and many minor parties, replaced their usual in-person conventions with virtual programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A delegate is a person selected to represent a group of people in some political assembly of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Democratic National Convention</span> U.S. political event held in San Francisco, California

The 1984 Democratic National Convention was held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California from July 16 to July 19, 1984, to select candidates for the 1984 United States presidential election. Former Vice President Walter Mondale was nominated for president and Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York was nominated for vice president. Ferraro became the first woman to be nominated by either major party for the presidency or vice presidency. In another first, the 1984 Democratic Convention was chaired by the female governor of Kentucky, Martha Layne Collins. The Democratic National Committee Chairman at the time, Charles T. Manatt, led the convention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

From January 3 to June 3, 2008, voters of the Democratic Party chose their nominee for president in the 2008 United States presidential election. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois was selected as the nominee, becoming the first African American to secure the presidential nomination of any major political party in the United States. However, due to a close race between Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, the contest remained competitive for longer than expected; neither candidate received enough pledged delegates from state primaries and caucuses to achieve a majority, without endorsements from unpledged delegates (superdelegates).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses</span>

The 2008 Iowa Democratic presidential caucus occurred on January 3, and was the state caucuses of the Iowa Democratic Party. It was the first election for the Democrats of the 2008 presidential election. Also referred to as "the First in the Nation Caucus," it was the first election of the primary season on both the Democratic and Republican sides. Of the eight major Democratic presidential candidates, then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois received the most votes and was ultimately declared the winner of the Iowa Democratic Caucus of 2008, making him the first African American to win the caucus and the first African American to win a primary state since Jesse Jackson in 1988. Former U.S. Senator John Edwards of North Carolina came in second place and then-U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton of New York finished third, though Clinton received more delegates than Edwards. Campaigning had begun as early as two years before the event.

A brokered convention, in US politics, can occur during a presidential election when a political party fails to choose a nominee on the first round of delegate voting at the party's nominating convention.

The results of the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries are the detailed outcomes of a series of contests by which members of the United States Democratic Party chose their candidate for the 2008 U.S. presidential election. The contests are held in each of the fifty U.S. states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Democrats Abroad. The Northern Mariana Islands was the lone U.S. state or territory which did not have a primary or caucus election in 2008. The outcomes include totals of delegates selected as well as popular votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Michigan Democratic presidential primary</span>

The 2008 Michigan Democratic presidential primary took place January 15, 2008. Originally, the state had 156 delegates up for grabs that were to be awarded in the following way: 83 delegates were to be awarded based on the winner in each of Michigan's 15 congressional districts while an additional 45 delegates were to be awarded to the statewide winner. Twenty-eight unpledged delegates, known as superdelegates, were initially able to cast their votes at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Florida Democratic presidential primary</span>

The 2008 Florida Democratic presidential primary took place on January 29, 2008. Originally, the state had 185 delegates up for grabs that were to be awarded in the following way: 121 delegates were to be awarded based on the winner in each of Florida's 25 congressional districts while an additional 64 delegates were to be awarded to the statewide winner. Twenty-five unpledged delegates, known as superdelegates, were initially able to cast their votes at the Democratic National Convention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Minnesota Democratic presidential caucuses</span>

The 2008 Minnesota Democratic presidential caucuses took place on Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008 with 78 delegates at stake. The winner in each of Minnesota's eight congressional districts was awarded all of that district's delegates, totaling 47. Another 25 delegates were awarded to the statewide winner, Barack Obama. The 72 delegates represented Minnesota at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Sixteen other unpledged delegates, known as superdelegates, also attended the convention and cast their votes as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Texas Democratic presidential primary and caucuses</span>

The 2008 Texas Democratic presidential primary and caucuses were a series of events to determine the delegates that the Texas Democratic Party sent to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Delegates were selected using results from two sources: the Texas Presidential Primary held on March 4 by the Secretary of State of Texas's office, and a series of caucus events held between March 4 and June 7 by the Texas Democratic Party. The indecisive results of Super Tuesday, and the fact that Texas had the largest number of delegates among the states remaining on the Democratic primary calendar, resulted in the Texas primary receiving significant attention from both the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

From January 3 to June 5, 2012, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 2012 United States presidential election. President Barack Obama won the Democratic Party nomination by securing more than the required 2,383 delegates on April 3, 2012, after a series of primary elections and caucuses. He was formally nominated by the 2012 Democratic National Convention on September 5, 2012, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

Presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select the 4,051 delegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention held July 25–28 and determine the nominee for President in the 2016 United States presidential election. The elections took place within all fifty U.S. states, the District of Columbia, five U.S. territories, and Democrats Abroad and occurred between February 1 and June 14, 2016. Between 2008 and 2020, this was the only Democratic Party primary in which the nominee had never been nor had ever become President of the United States. This was the first Democratic primary to nominate a woman for President.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Wyoming Democratic presidential caucuses</span>

The 2016 Wyoming Democratic presidential caucuses were held on April 9 in the U.S. state of Wyoming, representing the first tier of the Wyoming Democratic Party's nomination contest for the 2016 presidential election. Only registered Democrats were allowed to participate in the closed precinct caucuses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

Presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select the 3,979 pledged delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention held on August 17–20 to determine the party's nominee for president in the 2020 United States presidential election. The elections took place in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, five U.S. territories, and through Democrats Abroad, and occurred between February 3 and August 11.

Democrats Abroad holds a primary awarding delegates to the Democratic National Convention to represent expatriate voters. This primary is conducted as part of the Democratic Party's presidential primaries. In some earlier elections, in place of a primary, a caucus system was used by Democrats Abroad to determine their convention delegations.

References

  1. ↑ Navarro, Aaron (August 2, 2024). "The DNC's virtual roll call to nominate Kamala Harris started Aug. 1. Here's how the vote works". CBS News. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  2. ↑ "DNCC Rules Committee Passes Permanent Rules for 2024 Presidential Nomination". Democratic National Committee. July 24, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  3. ↑ "DNC and DNCC Chairs Announce Results of Presidential Nominating Petition Process and Opening of Virtual Roll Call on August 1". Democratic National Committee. July 30, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Can GOP 'superdelegates' stop Trump?". Washington Examiner. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Drew DeSilver, Who are the Democratic superdelegates?, Pew Research Center (May 5, 2016).
  6. ↑ "Delegate Selection Materials For the 2016 Democratic National Convention" (PDF). December 15, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Delegate Selection Rules for the 2020 Democratic National Convention" (PDF). Democratic National Committee. August 25, 2018.
  8. ↑ "With Spitzer out, number of Democratic superdelegates drops by 1". The Dallas Morning News . March 18, 2008. Archived from the original on May 8, 2008.
  9. ↑ Ken Rudin, Superdelegates Primer: What You Need to Know, NPR (April 14, 2008).
  10. 1 2 Lee Davidson and Bob Bernick Jr., Superdelegate Matheson to skip Demo convention, Deseret News (July 26, 2008).
  11. ↑ Matheson to skip Boston convention, Deseret News (July 17, 2004).
  12. ↑ Joey Garrison, Al Gore to skip Democratic National Convention, Tennessean (July 24, 2016).
  13. ↑ Marc Ambinder, Two Superdelegates In Maine May Change The Math, The Atlantic (March 3, 2008).
  14. ↑ Fredreka Schouten, 'Super delegate' tally remains slippery, USA Today (2008).
  15. ↑ Empty Chair Attack Is Having an Effect, Tampa Bay Times (March 9, 2008).
  16. ↑ Pazniokas, Mark (February 6, 2008). "Lieberman No Longer a Super Delegate". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on February 8, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2008.
  17. ↑ Pazniokas, Mark (February 8, 2008). "CAPITOL WATCH: Obama leads Clinton, 6-1, Among CT Superdelegates". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  18. ↑ Bolton, Alexander (July 31, 2012). "Both party conventions snub Lieberman" . Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  19. ↑ Superdelegates, explained, The Week (April 4, 2016).
  20. ↑ Grand Old Primaries, FairVote.org (December 10, 2007).
  21. 1 2 3 4 Andrew Prokop, How Democrats' delegate math actually works, Vox (March 2, 2020).
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 National convention delegate types, NBC News/Associated Press (January 3, 2008).
  23. 1 2 3 Sinderbrand, Rebecca (March 26, 2008). "Pledged delegates up for grabs, Clinton says". CNN.
  24. 1 2 3 Zach Montellaro, Here's what happens to the 2020 dropouts' delegates, Politico (March 4, 2020).
  25. 1 2 3 Li Zhouli, Here's what happens to delegates after their candidates drop out, Vox (March 6, 2020).
  26. ↑ "Romney suspends presidential campaign". CNN. February 7, 2008.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Emma Roller, The Not So Super Delegates, New York Times (April 12, 2016).
  28. 1 2 3 4 Broder, David S. (January 15, 1982). "Major turnaround by the Democratic Party". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (Washington Post). p. 8.
  29. 1 2 3 4 Nather, David (February 25, 2008). "Leaping Voters In a Single Bound". CQ Weekly . p. 482. Archived from the original on November 27, 2008.
  30. ↑ Berman, Ari (February 18, 2008). "Not So Superdelegates". The Nation .
  31. ↑ "Mondale loses California, but near majority". Associated Press. June 6, 1984. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Mondale claims win; Hart fights on". The Miami Herald . June 7, 1984. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Democrats rally to bid by Mondale". The Miami Herald . June 7, 1984. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  34. ↑ "Calls yield delegates to Mondale". The Washington Post . June 7, 1984. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  35. ↑ Terry Michael, The Democratic Party's Presidential Nominating Process Archived May 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine . March 2004 (pages 14-15)
  36. ↑ Lynch, Dotty; Lester, Beth (January 17, 2004). "Dean Leads 'Superdelegate' Count". CBS News . Retrieved May 18, 2008.
  37. ↑ Richard Herrerra, "Are 'Superdelegates' Super?" Political Behavior, vol. 16, no. 1. (March 1994), pp. 79-92.
  38. ↑ Nagourney, Adam; Hulse, Carl (February 10, 2008). "Neck and Neck, Democrats Woo Superdelegates". The New York Times.
  39. ↑ Seelye, Katharine Q. (June 5, 2008). "For Clinton, a Key Group Didn't Hold". The New York Times .
  40. ↑ "Obama takes lead in superdelegates, AP reports". NBC News. May 10, 2008.
  41. ↑ Alicia Parlapiano; Karen Yourish (June 8, 2016). "If You Think the Democratic Primary Race Is Close, the 2008 One Was Even Tighter". New York Times.
  42. ↑ "The Primary Season: 2008 Democratic Calendar". The New York Times . January 7, 2007.
  43. ↑ "Election Center 2008: Delegate Scorecard". CNN.
  44. ↑ "2008 Democratic National Convention Roll Call Results". Democratic National Convention Committee. August 2, 2008. Archived from the original on September 3, 2008. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
  45. ↑ Strauss, Daniel. "Sanders supporters revolt against superdelegates". Politico. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  46. 1 2 3 4 JM Rieger, Bernie Sanders pushed for a contested convention in 2016. Now he wants to avoid one., Washington Post(March 1, 2020).
  47. ↑ Domenico Montanaro, Clinton Has 45-To-1 'Superdelegate' Advantage Over Sanders, NPR (November 13, 2015).
  48. ↑ Abramson, Seth (March 2, 2016). "The National Media Has Been Instructed By the DNC Not to Count superdelegates, So Why Have They Refused?". Huffington Post.
  49. ↑ Abramson, Seth (April 18, 2016). "Clinton Delegate Lead Down to 194, Even as Dramatic Miscounting of Delegates by Media Continues". Huffington Post.
  50. ↑ Ryan, Shane (June 7, 2016). "The AP Announcing Clinton's "Victory" Was an Embarrassment to Journalism and U.S. Politics". Paste Magazine.
  51. ↑ Phillips, Amber (May 9, 2016). "How Maine Democrats just voted to abolish superdelegates". Washington Post.
  52. ↑ Ryan, Shane (February 10, 2016). "After Sanders' Big Win in New Hampshire, Establishment Figures Want to Scare You with Superdelegates. Here's Why It's Bullshit". Paste Magazine.
  53. ↑ Atkins, David (February 27, 2016). "End the Superdelegates. End the Caucuses. For Democracy's Sake". Washington Monthly.
  54. 1 2 Hope Yen, AP FACT CHECK: Sanders' shift on delegates needed to win, Associated Press (March 1, 2020).
  55. ↑ Nate Cohn, Pledges Pushed Hillary Clinton Over the Magic Number, New York Times (June 6, 2016).
  56. ↑ Carrie Dann, Clinton Hits 'Magic Number' of Delegates to Clinch Nomination, NBC News (June 6, 2016).
  57. ↑ Amita Kelly, Sanders Campaign Now Embraces Superdelegates As Key To Nomination, NPR (May 19, 2016).
  58. 1 2 3 4 5 Weigel, David (July 23, 2016). "Democrats vote to bind most superdelegates to state primary results". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  59. ↑ Daniel Marans, DNC Announces Members Of Unity Reform Commission, Huffington Post (April 17, 2017).
  60. ↑ Alex Roarty, Beyond Trump, Democrats are bitterly divided, McClatchy DC (May 7, 2017).
  61. 1 2 3 Gabriel Debenedetti, Kaine calls for eliminating superdelegates: Hillary Clinton's VP sides with Bernie Sanders in a fight that's divided Democrats, Politico (November 15, 2017).
  62. ↑ O'Malley Dillon, Jen, and Cohen, Larry. "Report of the Unity Reform Commission", Dec. 8-9, 2017.
  63. ↑ David Weigel & Ed O'Keefe, DNC reshuffle has some worrying about a 'purge', Washington Post (October 19, 2017).
  64. ↑ Bowden, John (December 7, 2017). "DNC leaders call for 'significant' cut in Dem superdelegates". The Hill. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  65. 1 2 3 Herndon, Astead W. (August 25, 2018). "Democrats Overhaul Controversial Superdelegate System". New York Times. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  66. 1 2 3 "The Green Papers". Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  67. 1 2 "Magic Number? Determining the Winning Number of Democratic Delegates Will Be Tougher in 2020". Frontloading HQ. May 15, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  68. ↑ David Weigel, Democrats vote to limit voting power of 'superdelegates', Washington Post (June 27, 2018).
  69. ↑ Weissert, Will (July 24, 2024). "Democrats poised to virtually nominate Harris — and her running mate — by Aug. 7". Associated Press. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  70. ↑ Navarro, Aaron (August 2, 2024). "The DNC's virtual roll call to nominate Kamala Harris started Aug. 1. Here's how the vote works". CBS News. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  71. ↑ Zachary Roth, Superdelegates Don't Determine the Democratic Nominee, NBC News (June 6, 2016): "Superdelegates have never determined the nominee, and they're unlikely ever to do so."
  72. ↑ Astead W. Herndon, Democrats Overhaul Controversial Superdelegate System, New York Times (August 25, 2018): "superdelegates have never before overturned the will of Democratic voters in the presidential primary"
  73. ↑ Amy Sherman, Superdelegates "have never been a determining factor in who our nominee is since they've been in place since 1984.", Politifact (March 22, 2016).
  74. ↑ Karmack, Elaine (February 14, 2008). "A History of 'Super-Delegates' in the Democratic Party". Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
  75. ↑ Delk, Josh (November 15, 2017). "Kaine sides with Sanders, calls for eliminating superdelegates". The Hill.
  76. ↑ Hearn, Josephine (February 15, 2008). "White men hold superdelegate power balance". Politico. Retrieved August 22, 2009.
  77. ↑ Jeff Naft, The Reason Why Dozens of Lobbyists Will Be Democratic Presidential Delegates, ABC News (February 29, 2016).
  78. ↑ Jonathan Rauch and Ray La Raja, Too Much Democracy Is Bad for Democracy, The Atlantic (December 2019).
  79. ↑ Callum Borchers, "We need more questions like this one from Jake Tapper to Debbie Wasserman Schultz", The Washington Post (February 12, 2016).
  80. ↑ Republican National Committee (November 9, 2007). ""Call for the 2008 Republican National Convention" (Rule 13(2))" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 4, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  81. ↑ Marcus, Ruth (January 17, 2008). "Looking Beyond Tsunami Tuesday". The Sacramento Bee . Archived from the original on June 10, 2008.
  82. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Seth Millstein, How Would A Contested Convention Affect The GOP?, Bustle (February 20, 2016).
  83. ↑ Seth Millstein, The GOP's Superdelegate Rules Are Different Now, Bustle (February 12, 2016).
  84. ↑ "Superdelegates: Why they matter". CNN.

Notes

  1. ↑ The 1984 Democratic Party presidential primaries ended with Walter Mondale winning a plurality of delegates, leading the Senator Gary Hart in the count of elected delegates, with Jesse Jackson far behind. It was unclear whether Mondale had secured the absolute majority of 1,967 delegates to clinch the nomination, despite Hart's victory in California. Some press reports suggested that Mondale had clinched the nomination, but the Associated Press reported that he was "barely short of" a majority. Mondale made dozens of phone calls to superdelegates, securing the pledges of 40 of them, thus placing his status as the presumptive nominee beyond doubt. Experts differ on whether superdelegates were "decisive" to Mondale's nomination on the first ballot at the 1984 Democratic National Convention. [73]
  2. ↑ Although the term superdelegate was originally coined to describe a type of Democratic delegate, the term has become widely used to describe these delegates in both parties. [81]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.