A "Super-Delegate" or an "Un-Pledged Delegate" is a delegate to the Democratic National Convention or Republican National Convention that is seated automatically, based on their status as current, Republican and Democratic, or former Democratic only, party leader or elected official. Other Super-Delegates are chosen during the primary season. All the Super-Delegates are free to support any candidate for the nomination. This contrasts with convention delegates that are selected based on the Party Primaries and Caucuses in which voters choose among candidates for the party's Presidential nomination.
Although Super-Delegate was originally coined and created to describe this type of Democratic delegate, the term has become widely used to describe these delegates in both parties, even though it is not an official term used by either party.
For Democrats, Super-Delegates fall into two categories:
- Delegates seated based on other positions they hold, who are formally described, in Rule 9.A, as Un-Pledged Party leader and elected official delegates.
- Additional Un-Pledged delegates selected by each State party, in a fixed predetermined number, who are formally described (in Rule 9.B) as Un-Pledged add-on delegates" and who need not hold any party or elected position before their selection as delegates.
- Elected members of the Democratic National Committee (~450)
- Democratic Governors
- Democratic US Senators and US Representatives, including non-voting delegates
- Distinguished Party leaders, current and former Presidents and Vice Presidents
- Former Democratic leaders of the Senate and House
- Former DNC chairmen
- Un-Pledged "add-on's" chosen by the DNC
For Republicans, Members of the Party’s National Committee automatically become delegates without being pledged to any candidate. In 2008, there were 123 and 3 Un-Pledged delegates in each state, consisting of the State Chairman and two RNC Committee members.
A common criticism is that Un-Pledged delegates could potentially swing the results to nominate a candidate that did not receive the majority of votes during the primaries.
Months before the Presidential Primary, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has received public support from more than half of her party's insiders, who will cast votes at their National Convention in July, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The AP contacted each of the 712 Super-Delegates to ask which candidate they plan to vote for at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) next summer. More than 80 percent of all the Super-Delegates responded, and in the past two weeks Clinton solidified support from 359 of them, according to the AP.
The backing gives her a commanding advantage over her two rivals. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont received support from eight Super-Delegates, and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley from two. The remaining 210 Super-Delegates said they are not committed to one of the three Democratic candidates.
The 712 Super-Delegates make up about 30 percent of the 2,382 delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination. They are unelected delegates who can support any candidate for the Presidential nomination at the DNC.
Clinton's campaign has hired Jeff Berman, a lawyer who was President Barack Obama's top delegate strategist in 2008. The Obama campaign had developed a strategy to increase support from delegates by the spring of election season.
The convention will be held the week of July 25, 2016, in Philadelphia.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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