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| superdelegates | |
|---|---|
| Name | Superdelegates |
| Type | Party officials and leaders |
| Established | 1980s (Democratic Party) |
| Primary users | Democratic National Committee, Democratic National Convention |
| Significance | Influence on presidential nominations |
superdelegates
Superdelegates are unpledged delegates in the Democratic Party who may exercise discretion in selecting a presidential nominee. They comprise elected officials, party leaders, and Democratic National Committee members whose roles intersect with institutions such as the Democratic National Committee, United States Senate, United States House of Representatives, American political parties, political conventions, and state party organizations. Their existence has affected contests involving figures like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, and Al Gore.
Superdelegates consist of automatic delegates drawn from offices and institutions such as the Democratic National Committee, the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, former U.S. Presidents, and other high-ranking party operatives. The purpose, as articulated by proponents including members of the Democratic Leadership Council and various state Democratic parties, is to provide experienced party actors with a moderating influence during closely contested national conventions and to ensure continuity between the nominating process and organizations like the Democratic National Committee and state delegations. Critics argue the role privileges institutional actors such as the Mayor of New York City or Governor of California over primary and caucus voters.
Superdelegates trace their origins to reforms adopted after the 1972 United States presidential election and the subsequent work of the McGovern Commission and the Democratic National Committee during the 1970s and 1980s. The mechanism emerged as party leaders, including figures from the Carter administration and veteran operatives associated with Walter Mondale, sought to rebalance the influence of grassroots activists following the reforms that expanded primary participation. The category expanded through the 1980s and 1990s, affecting nomination contests such as 1984 United States presidential election, 1992 United States presidential election, 2008 United States presidential election, and 2016 United States presidential election.
In the Democratic presidential nominating process, superdelegates are allocated automatically and may cast ballots at the Democratic National Convention. Their votes historically counted toward the delegate thresholds required to clinch the nomination in conventions governed by rules set by the Democratic National Committee. Superdelegates include sitting U.S. Senators, sitting U.S. Representatives, state party chairs, and distinguished party leaders like former President Jimmy Carter or former President Bill Clinton when applicable. Party rules adopted by bodies such as the Democratic National Committee and ratified at conventions determine eligibility, voting rights, and whether superdelegates are bound in the first or subsequent ballots under specific scenarios involving candidates like Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.
The superdelegate system has attracted controversy over perceived clashes with popular participation, pitting institutional authorities such as state party chairs and members of Congress against primary voters in contests involving Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Opponents argue that the presence of unpledged delegates can override the choices expressed in primaries and caucuses, raising concerns about legitimacy and transparency, highlighted during the 2016 Democratic National Convention debates and the 2008 primary contest between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Defenders pointed to crisis scenarios such as contested conventions or brokered outcomes referencing historical moments like the 1968 Democratic National Convention and noted parallels with party mechanisms in organizations like the Republican National Committee.
Reform efforts have produced multiple rule changes enacted by the Democratic National Committee and debated at conventions such as those following the 2016 United States presidential election. Changes included limitations on first-ballot voting power for superdelegates and revisions proposed by commissions led by figures including Donna Brazile and Howard Dean. The 2018 reforms altered the weight of unpledged delegates in nomination determinations following recommendations from committees formed after the 2016 cycle, reflecting pressure from activists associated with Our Revolution, MoveOn.org, and progressive leaders allied with Bernie Sanders. Subsequent rulemaking remains a subject of debate at DNC meetings and state party conventions.
Pledged delegates are allocated via primary elections and caucuses under state rules administered by entities such as state parties, state secretaries of state, and local election boards, and are committed to candidates based on results in contests like the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. In contrast, superdelegates are unpledged and derive authority from positions within organizations such as the Democratic National Committee and elected offices like the United States Senate. Pledged delegates include convention delegates bound by proportional formulas used in contests like the South Carolina Democratic primary, whereas superdelegates have historically had discretion, creating distinctions debated in venues such as the Democratic National Convention and scholarly analyses in political science departments at universities such as Harvard University and Columbia University.
Superdelegates played visible roles in the 2008 United States presidential election contest between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and became particularly contentious in the 2016 United States presidential election when delegate math and media coverage amplified debates over their potential influence in a close race involving Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Their existence influenced strategic decisions by party figures such as James Carville and endorsements from leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Subsequent reforms influenced the 2020 cycle featuring candidates such as Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren, and continue to shape how activists, elected officials, and party institutions interact in nomination campaigns and at conventions associated with the Democratic National Committee.