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Democratic convention presidential nomination, 2024

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2024 Presidential Election
Date: November 5, 2024
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Vice President Kamala Harris (D) won the Democratic presidential nomination on August 2, 2024, during a virtual roll call vote of Democratic convention delegates. Harris received 4,563 delegate votes, which amounted to 99% of the delegates.[1][2] Almost all of the delegates were unbound following President Joe Biden's (D) withdrawal from the race.[3][4][5]

Harris was the only qualified candidate. In order to qualify for the virtual roll call, a candidate had to submit the signatures of at least 300 delegates by 6:00 p.m. on July 30, 2024.[3][4] Harris' campaign submitted signatures from 3,923 delegates. Since Harris submitted signatures from a majority of delegates, superdelegates were allowed to participate in the first round of voting at the virtual roll call.

An Associated Press survey of Democratic delegates estimated Vice President Kamala Harris (D) had reached the majority delegate threshold necessary to become the Democratic presidential nominee on July 22, 2024.[6][7]

President Joe Biden (D), the former presumptive Democratic nominee, withdrew from the presidential race on July 21, 2024. He became the presumptive nominee on March 12, 2024, after winning an estimated majority of delegates in the presidential primaries.

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Presidential nomination virtual roll call

Kamala Harris received 4,563 delegate votes, while 52 delegates voted present, and 79 delegates abstained from voting.[8][9]

After the presidential primaries, Joe Biden was estimated to receive 3,896 delegates, followed by 36 uncommitted delegates, Dean Phillips with four delegates, and Jason Palmer with three delegates. Biden's, Phillips', and Palmer's delegates were all unbound after each candidate withdrew from the presidential race.[10]

In 2020, Biden won the Democratic nomination with 3,558 delegate votes, followed by Bernie Sanders with 1,151, and five abstentions. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination with 2,842 delegate votes, followed by Sanders with 1,865, and 56 unknown or abstention votes.

The following table contains the number of delegates Harris received from each state during the Democratic presidential nomination virtual roll call at held from August 1-5, 2024.[9]

Democratic presidential nomination roll call, 2024
State Harris
Total 4,563
Alabama 56
Alaska 19
American Samoa 10
Arizona 85
Arkansas 36
California 482
Colorado 86
Connecticut 73
Delaware 34
Democrats Abroad1 17
District of Columbia 49
Florida 243
Georgia 121
Guam 12
Hawaii 23
Idaho 27
Illinois 176
Indiana 86
Iowa 45
Kansas 39
Kentucky 56
Louisiana 47
Maine 30
Maryland 118
Massachusetts 116
Michigan 125
Minnesota 81
Mississippi 40
Missouri 68
Montana 24
Nebraska 34
Nevada 48
New Hampshire 34
New Jersey 142
New Mexico 45
New York 298
North Carolina 131
North Dakota 17
Northern Mariana Islands 11
Ohio 142
Oklahoma 41
Oregon 78
Pennsylvania 178
Puerto Rico 60
Rhode Island 34
South Carolina 65
South Dakota 20
Tennessee 72
Texas 263
Utah 34
Vermont 24
Virgin Islands 13
Virginia 119
Washington 101
West Virginia 24
Wisconsin 94
Wyoming 17


Notable declared candidates

See also: Defining noteworthy presidential candidates (2024), How we order candidate lists

The following noteworthy candidates qualified to run for the Democratic presidential nomination following Biden's withdrawal.

In order to qualify for nomination at the convention, a candidate had to submit a petition with signatures from 300 convention delegates to the Democratic National Committee by July 30, 2024.[11][3][4][5]

Kamala Harris.png
Kamala Harris (D)


List of noteworthy candidates

  • Kamala Harris (D), vice president of the United States, announced her candidacy on July 21, 2024.[12]

Possible candidates

Possible presidential candidates

As of July 22, 2024, the following candidates had been mentioned in media reports as possible presidential candidates. Also included is whether the individual said he or she did not plan on seeking the presidential nomination or whether he or she endorsed another candidate for the nomination:

Possible vice presidential candidates

As of July 30, 2024, the following candidates had been mentioned in media reports as possible vice presidential candidates. Also included is whether the individual said he or she does not plan on seeking the vice presidential nomination.


Delegates

See also: Democratic delegate rules, 2024

In 2024, there were an estimated 4,696 delegates: 3,949 pledged delegates and 747 automatic delegates—more commonly known as superdelegates.[35][36]

To win the Democratic nomination, a presidential candidate needed to receive support from a majority of the pledged delegates on the first ballot: an estimated 1,975 pledged delegates.[37][35][36]

If the convention was contested and went to a second ballot or more, automatic delegates—commonly referred to as superdelegates—would have been able to vote and a candidate would have needed to receive majority support from all delegates—2,349 votes. Previously, superdelegates were able to vote on the first ballot. This rule changed after the 2016 presidential election, when the Unity Reform Commission proposed several ways to reduce the number and power of superdelegates.[38]

What happens to Biden's delegates

President Joe Biden (D) became the presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential nominee on March 12, 2024, after winning an estimated majority of delegates in the presidential primaries. Delegates are allocated to candidates proportionally based on presidential primary results. However, delegates don't officially cast their votes for the nominee until the party's delegate roll call vote, which takes place after all states hold their primaries. After the final Democratic presidential primaries, which took place on June 8, 95% of delegates were bound to vote for Biden based on their state's primary results.[39]

On July 21, 2024, President Joe Biden (D) announced that he was ending his campaign for re-election.[40] The Democratic Party's 2024 Delegate Selection Rules do not provide specific guidance for how delegates should vote if their candidate withdraws. The rules say the following about how a delegate should vote:

“ No delegate at any level of the delegate selection process shall be mandated by law or Party rule to vote contrary to that person’s presidential choice as expressed at the time the delegate is elected.[41] ”
—Rule 13.I (p. 15)[42]
“ Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.[41] ”
—Rule 13.J (p. 15)[42]


Pledged delegates

Pledged delegates are elected during primaries, caucuses, or party conventions, and must express either a presidential candidate preference or an uncommitted preference as a condition of their election. Rule 13(J) of the Democratic National Committee defines a pledged delegate's responsibility:

“ Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.[41] ”
—Rule 13(J), 2020 Delegate Selection Rules[42]

There are three distinct types of pledged delegates:[43]

  • Pledged district delegates are distributed and elected at the congressional or state legislative district level.
  • Pledged at-large delegates are distributed and elected statewide.
  • Pledged PLEO delegates are party leaders and elected officials. Pledged PLEO delegates are most often selected in a similar manner to at-large delegates.[43]

Automatic delegates

Automatic delegates are unpledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Automatic delegates, who are often called superdelegates, are not required to pledge their support to any presidential candidate. Automatic delegates include members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors, or distinguished party leaders, including former presidents and vice presidents. They are free to support any presidential candidate of their choosing.[43]

Following the 2016 presidential election, the Unity Reform Commission was formed to revise the Democratic nominating process, including reducing the number and power of automatic delegates.[44][45][46] At the conclusion of the party's national convention on August 25, 2018, officials voted to adopt a measure banning automatic delegates from voting on the first ballot at a contested national convention.[47]

Background

President Joe Biden's (D) withdrawal

See also: Withdrawal of Joe Biden from the 2024 presidential election

Following the first 2024 presidential debate on June 27, 2024, Democratic elected officials commented publicly on President Joe Biden's (D) debate performance and his presidential candidacy. The Associated Press' Farnoush Amiri wrote, "It all amounts to a stunning and swift turn of events for Biden, his campaign and his allies on Capitol Hill, who have spent the better part of the last several years combatting criticism about the president’s fitness and defending his ability to serve another four-year term, at the end of which he would be 86 years old. But Biden’s shaky performance during the debate with Trump has shaken Democratic support to its foundations, with members of the party at all levels entertaining the possibility that he can no longer be the nominee."[48] On July 2, 2024, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) became the first Democratic federal elected official to call on Biden to withdraw from the race in the wake of the debate. A total of 32 members of the U.S. House of Representatives called on Biden to withdraw. On July 10, U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) became the first senator to call on Biden to suspend his campaign. Five members of the U.S. Senate called on Biden to withdraw.

On July 21, 2024, President Joe Biden (D) announced that he was ending his campaign for re-election.[49] In a statement, Biden said:

“

It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.[41]

”

Democratic virtual roll call

On May 28, 2024, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) said it planned to hold a virtual delegate roll call to certify its presidential and vice presidential nominees ahead of the in-person Democratic National Convention, which took place from August 19-22, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois, and ahead of Ohio's presidential ballot certification deadline on August 7. On July 24, 2024, the DNC Rules Committee voted to hold a virtual roll call vote between August 1 and August 7.[3][4] On July 31, the DNC said the vote would take place from August 1 to August 5.[50]

On June 2, 2024, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed a bill into law moving the state's filing deadline to September 1, 2024.[51] On June 4, the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee passed a rule allowing the Democratic convention committee to schedule a virtual roll call vote ahead of the convention. The committee said it was doing so due to uncertainty around whether the bill passed in Ohio would take effect in time.[52][53] The Ohio Secretary of State issued an advisory on June 3 saying the bill would take effect ahead of the new September 1 deadline.[54]

In April 2024, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose's (R) office sent a letter to the Ohio Democratic Party saying that since the Ohio filing deadline took place before the convention, "the Democratic National Committee must either move up its nominating convention or the Ohio General Assembly must act by May 9, 2024 (90 days prior to a new law's effective date) to create an exception to this statutory requirement."[55][56]

The 2024 Democratic National Convention date also came into conflict with ballot access deadlines in Alabama and Washington. The Alabama State Legislature passed a law changing the deadline, and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (D) said he would provisionally approve the Democratic nominee's ballot access ahead of the convention.[56]

History

Replacing presidential nominees

Before 2024, a party's presidential nominee had never been replaced this late in an election cycle. There are past cases of incumbent presidents choosing not to seek re-election. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson (D) withdrew from the presidential race in March after the New Hampshire presidential primary. In 1952, President Harry Truman (D) also chose not to run for re-election after the New Hampshire presidential primary.

The last time an individual on a major party presidential ticket was replaced was in 1972, when Democratic vice presidential nominee Thomas Eagleton withdrew two weeks after the Democratic National Convention when details about his mental health treatment were publicized.[57] Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern (D) selected a new running mate, who was then certified at a meeting of the Democratic National Committee.[58]

Democratic presidential nominations

The first-ever presidential primaries took place in the early 1900s. However, most delegates were not allocated according to the results of these primaries. Instead, candidates made direct appeals to party leaders and delegates at the national convention.[59] The Democratic Party instituted new rules following the 1968 presidential primary, where then-Vice President Hubert Humphrey (D) won the nomination without formally participating in any of the 17 primaries held that cycle.[60] In her book Primary Politics: How Presidential Candidates Have Shaped the Modern Nominating System, Elaine C. Kamarck wrote, "The cumulative effect of the McGovern-Fraser reforms was to transform the modern nominating system into a system where mass persuasion replaced elite persuasion. Two developments played a central role in this process: the transformation of party caucuses from closed to open events and the related increase in the number of binding presidential primaries."[61] According to the National Constitution Center, in 1968, 38% of convention delegates were allocated by voters in primaries, while in 1976, that number rose to 73%.[59]

See also

Democratic presidential nomination, 2016-2024
Use the dropdown menu below to navigate Ballotpedia's historical coverage of Democratic presidential nominations.
Additional reading




Footnotes

  1. ↑ USA Today, "Harris makes history as first Black woman, Asian American presidential nominee," August 2, 2024
  2. ↑ CBS News, "DNC virtual roll call vote ends with Kamala Harris receiving 99% of delegate votes. Here are the full results." August 6, 2024
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The New York Times, "Democrats Set Aug. 1 for Harris Nomination Vote," July 24, 2024
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 CBS News, "Kamala Harris closer to being nominee as DNC approves early virtual roll call vote," July 24, 2024
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 DNC, "DNC and DNCC Chairs Announce Results of Presidential Nominating Petition Process and Opening of Virtual Roll Call on August 1," July 30, 2024
  6. ↑ X, "Joe Biden on July 21, 2024," accessed July 21, 2024
  7. ↑ Associated Press, "AP Democratic Delegate Survey," July 23, 2024
  8. ↑ PBS, "Convention delegates will nominate Harris for second time. Less suspense but more pizzazz expected," August 20, 2024
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 CBS News, "DNC virtual roll call vote ends with Kamala Harris receiving 99% of delegate votes. Here are the full results." August 6, 2024
  10. ↑ Associated Press, "2024 Presidential Delegate Count," accessed August 28, 2024
  11. ↑ Associated Press, "Democrats plan to push ahead with virtual roll call ahead of their convention, with Harris favored," July 22, 2024
  12. ↑ X, "Harris on July 21, 2024," accessed July 21, 2024
  13. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear Endorses Kamala Harris," July 22, 2024
  14. ↑ Politico, "Buttigieg endorses Harris as Dems privately float him for VP," July 21, 2024
  15. ↑ The News & Observer, "'She has what it takes.' NC Gov. Roy Cooper, a possible VP pick, endorses Kamala Harris," July 22, 2024
  16. ↑ Politico, "Sen. Mark Kelly endorses Harris," accessed July 22, 2024
  17. ↑ CBS News, "Who could replace Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic nominee?" July 22, 2024
  18. ↑ CBS News, "Sen. Joe Manchin says he won't run for president but calls for Democratic "mini primary" now that Biden's out," July 22, 2024
  19. ↑ NPR, "Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, seen as a potential challenger, endorses Harris," July 22, 2024
  20. ↑ CT Mirror, "Chris Murphy praises Biden, Harris as part of effort to reset race," July 21, 2024
  21. ↑ The New York Times, "How These 10 Democrats Would Fare Against Trump, Rated by Our Columnists and Writers," July 22, 2024
  22. ↑ The Sacramento Bee, "California Gov. Gavin Newsom endorses Kamala Harris for president after Joe Biden drops out," July 21, 2024
  23. ↑ Axios, "Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, other local Dems, line up behind Kamala Harris," July 22, 2024
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 CBS News, "Who could replace Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic nominee?" July 22, 2024
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 ABC News, "Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorses Harris," July 22, 2024
  26. ↑ CBS News, "Could Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro be a candidate for vice president after Biden dropped out?" July 21, 2024
  27. ↑ AJC Politics, "‘All in.’ Georgia’s Democratic leaders quickly unite behind Kamala Harris," July 21, 2024
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 Axios, "Who could be Kamala Harris' vice presidential pick," July 21, 2024
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Politico, "9 possible running mates Kamala Harris could pick," July 21, 2024
  30. ↑ The New York Times, "Roy Cooper Withdraws From Harris’s Vice-Presidential Field," July 29, 2024
  31. ↑ CBS News, "Kamala Harris vetting about a dozen possible VP candidates," July 24, 2024
  32. ↑ The New York Times, "One Word Has Elevated Minnesota’s Governor to the Democrats’ V.P. Wish List," July 29, 2024
  33. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Who could replace Harris as the next vice presidential candidate? Meet her potential choices," July 21, 2024
  34. ↑ Fox 4 News, "Gretchen Whitmer not interested in running for Vice President: 'I'm not leaving Michigan,'" July 22, 2024
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Green Papers, "Presidential Primaries 2024 Democratic Delegate Vote Allocation," accessed March 28, 2023
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 These figures assume New Hampshire will only receive ten pledged delegates.
  37. ↑ The Democratic National Committee calculates a majority as 50% plus one delegate.
  38. ↑ Politico, "Kemp poised to spurn Trump on Georgia Senate pick," December 2, 2019
  39. ↑ The Green Papers, "Democratic Convention," July 31, 2024
  40. ↑ X.com, "Biden announces withdrawal from 2024 presidential election," accessed July 21, 2024
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 Democratic National Committee, "2024 Delegate Selection Rules," accessed July 8, 2024 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "DSR" defined multiple times with different content
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 Congressional Research Service, "The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions," December 30, 2015
  44. ↑ Politico, "DNC 'unity' panel recommends huge cut in superdelegates," December 9, 2017
  45. ↑ NPR, "DNC Group Calls For Drastic Cut In 'Superdelegates' As Part Of Nomination Process," December 9, 2017
  46. ↑ Pew Research Center, "Who are the Democratic superdelegates?" May 5, 2016
  47. ↑ Politico, "Democrats strip superdelegates of power in picking presidential nominee," August 25, 2018
  48. ↑ Associated Press, "Rep. Lloyd Doggett becomes first Democrat in Congress to call for Biden’s withdrawal from 2024 race," July 2, 2024
  49. ↑ X.com, "Biden announces withdrawal from 2024 presidential election," accessed July 21, 2024
  50. ↑ DNC, "DNC and DNCC Chairs Announce Results of Presidential Nominating Petition Process and Opening of Virtual Roll Call on August 1," July 30, 2024
  51. ↑ 13 Action News, "Gov. DeWine signs bill to allow President Biden to appear on Ohio’s fall ballot," June 2, 2024
  52. ↑ ABC News, "DNC to nominate Biden and Harris to bypass Ohio ballot issues," May 28, 2024
  53. ↑ YouTube, "DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee Meeting - June 4, 2024," June 4, 2024
  54. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "H.B. 2, Presidential Candidates (135th General Assembly – Special Session)," June 3, 2024
  55. ↑ ABC News, "Biden could face challenges getting on Ohio general ballot," April 5, 2024
  56. ↑ 56.0 56.1 Columbus Dispatch, "Democrats to nominate Joe Biden in virtual session to ensure he's on Ohio ballot," May 28, 2024
  57. ↑ NPR, "The Thomas Eagleton Affair Haunts Candidates Today," August 4, 2012
  58. ↑ CQ Almanac, "Shriver Replaced Eagleton as Democratic VP Candidate," accessed July 8, 2024
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 Constitution Center, "A brief history of presidential primaries," March 1, 2024
  60. ↑ The Center for Politics, "The Modern History of the Democratic Presidential Primary, 1972-2008," February 4, 2016
  61. ↑ Google Books, "Primary Politics: How Presidential Candidates Have Shaped the Modern Nominating System," December 1, 2009
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