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Cecil R. Benjamin
| Cecil R. Benjamin | |
| Democratic National Convention, 2016 | |
| Status: | Superdelegate |
| State: | U.S. Virgin_Islands |
| Supporting: | Hillary Clinton |
| Delegates to the DNC 2016 | |
| Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • State election law and delegates • Superdelegates by state | |
Cecil R. Benjamin was a superdelegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention from the U.S. Virgin Islands.[1] Benjamin was one of five superdelegates from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention were not bound by the results of their territory’s primary or caucus results to support a specific presidential candidate. Benjamin supported Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.[2] Clinton formally won the Democratic nomination for president on July 26, 2016.[3]
What is a superdelegate?
Superdelegates in 2016 were automatic delegates to the Democratic National Convention, meaning that, unlike regular delegates, they were not elected to this position. Also unlike regular delegates, they were not required to pledge their support to any presidential candidate, and they were not bound by the results of their state's presidential primary election or caucus. In 2016, superdelegates included members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors, and distinguished party leaders, including former presidents and vice presidents. All superdelegates were free to support any presidential candidate of their choosing at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.[4]
U.S. Virgin Islands primary results
Hillary Clinton won the U.S. Virgin Islands' Democratic caucuses with 84 percent of the vote.[5] Seven pledged delegates were at stake. Clinton won all of them. The U.S. Virgin Islands also had five Democratic superdelegates, at least two of whom—Democratic National Committeeman Emmett Hansen II and congressional delegate Stacey Plaskett—publicly expressed support for Clinton.[6][7]
| U.S. Virgin Islands Democratic Caucuses, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Delegates | |
 Hillary Clinton |
86.2% | 1,226 | 7 | |
| Bernie Sanders | 13.8% | 196 | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,422 | 7 | ||
| Source: CNN | ||||
See also
- Democratic National Convention, 2016
- 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules
- Presidential election, 2016
- Presidential candidates, 2016
- Presidential election in the U.S. Virgin_Islands, 2016
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia's list of superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention is based on our own research and lists provided by the Democratic National Committee to Vox.com in February 2016 and May 2016. If you think we made an error in identifying superdelegates, please send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.
- ↑ GazetteXtra, “Clinton moves closer to nomination, sweeps in Virgin Islands,” June 5, 2016
- ↑ To find out which candidate a superdelegate supported, Ballotpedia sought out public statements from the superdelegate in other media outlets and on social media. If we were unable to find a public statement that clearly articulated which candidate the superdelegate supported at the national convention, we listed that superdelegate as "unknown." If you believe we made an error in identifying which candidate a superdelegate supported, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions," December 30, 2015
- ↑ ABC News, "Hillary Clinton Wins Virgin Islands Democratic Caucuses," June 4, 2016
- ↑ VIFreePress, "Rep. Plaskett throws her support behind Hillary Clinton for President," April 21, 2016
- ↑ Bloomberg, "Sanders’ Quest for Superdelegates Loses One After Virgin Island Official Flips to Clinton," May 17, 2016
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