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Republican National Convention, 2016

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2016 Republican National Convention
Date
July 18-21, 2016
Location
Cleveland, Ohio
Candidates
President
Donald Trump
Vice President
Mike Pence
Delegates
Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • Delegate rules by state • State election law and delegates • Correll v. Herring • Delegates by state
Convention
2016 Convention Rules • Rule 12 • Rule 16 • Rule 40 • Conscience clause • Brokered conventions • RNC Rules Committee • Platform and Platform Committee • RNC Standing Committee on Rules • Republican National Committee
Previous party rules
2012 • 2000 • 1996
Ballotpedia's presidential election coverage
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016
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The Republican National Committee (RNC) held its presidential nominating convention from July 18-21, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] The party held its first national convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in June 1856. For a complete list of past conventions, see the Library of Congress' website.[2]

Host city

On July 8, 2014, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus announced Cleveland as the winner and issued a statement regarding the committee's decision. He stated, "I will say it was a business decision, when it came down to hotels, the venue, the arena, it was unbelievable."[1] Priebus later explained that part of the decision was based on Ohio's reputation as a swing state. Ohio has a unique presidential election history. As of the 2012 presidential election, the state has voted with the winner of every presidential election since 1960.[3] Priebus remarked, "In the end, as well, it’s Cleveland, Ohio, and as goes Ohio, so goes the presidential race."[1] Cleveland and Dallas, Texas, were the top two cities under consideration.

Venue

The main venue for the 2016 Republican National Convention was the Quicken Loans Arena, also known as "The Q," in Cleveland, Ohio.[4] The arena needed major renovations to accommodate the convention, including $20 million "to transform the bowl of Quicken Loans Arena into a full-scale media production facility" and $30 million "for infrastructure improvements by telecommunications and network carriers to update the Q."[4]

Convention dates

The convention was held July 18-21, 2016. "The convention will be held significantly earlier than previous election cycles, allowing access to crucial general election funds earlier than ever before to give our nominee a strong advantage heading into Election Day," Priebus said.[5]

Delegation selection

Reince Priebus was the chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) during the 2016 primary season.

In order to win the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, a candidate had to win 1,237 delegates at the national convention. There were 2,472 delegates present at the Republican National Convention roll call vote on July 19, 2016.[6][7]

In contrast to the Democrats, Republicans in 2016 allowed their state parties more flexibility in determining how they allocated their convention delegates. Generally, there were three types of allocation systems that Republicans used: proportional, winner-take-all, and hybrid systems. The Republicans also had three types of delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and Republican National Committee (RNC) members.

Republicans assigned three delegates to each congressional district in a state; how strongly a district had supported GOP candidates in previous elections did not impact the district's number of convention delegates. Overall, there were 1,305 congressional district delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention.[6]

Each state was assigned at least 10 at-large delegates. Additional at-large delegates were awarded to a state based on various political criteria. A state with a Republican governor, a Republican U.S. senator, or Republican majorities in the state legislature may have been allocated additional at-large delegates. The same was true for states that were carried by the Republican presidential nominee in the previous election. Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories were assigned a specific number of at-large delegates. Overall, there were 999 at-large delegates at the 2016 convention.[6]

All 168 members of the RNC served as automatic delegates to the national convention. The 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. territories had three RNC members each. Depending on the rules of the state (or territorial) party, these automatic delegates may or may not have been allocated and pledged to the winner of the state’s primary or caucus. Most states allowed their RNC members to decide for themselves which candidate they would support.[6]

In a proportional allocation system, states awarded delegates to candidates based on the proportion of primary votes or caucus preference votes they received in congressional districts or statewide. The threshold a candidate needed to cross in order to win delegates varied from state to state. Often, if a candidate exceeded 50 percent of the vote in a state or congressional district, that candidate won all of the delegates at stake. States that conducted a primary or caucus between March 1 and March 14 were required to allocate their delegates with a proportional system.

A winner-take-all system could take one of two forms. In the first, all of a state's district and at-large delegates were allocated to the candidate who won a plurality of the primary vote or caucus preference vote. In the second, a state allocated each district's delegates to the winner of that congressional district, and it allocated all at-large delegates to the winner of the statewide vote. States were permitted to hold winner-take-all contests after March 14.

A hybrid system combined different aspects of proportional and winner-take-all systems. A state could also allow for the direct election of delegates; in this case, voters cast ballots for individual delegates who may or may not have been pledged to a presidential candidate. States that did not have a caucus preference vote sent their delegates to the convention unpledged. Those delegates decided for themselves which candidate they would support.

There was one alternate delegate for every district and at-large convention delegate. There were no alternates set aside for the RNC members who served as automatic delegates. RNC rules called on each state to “endeavor to have equal representation of men and women in its delegation to the Republican National Convention.”

The pie chart below presents the total numbers and proportions for each delegate type at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

The map below compares delegate counts by state, both as raw numbers and as percentages of the total delegation (hover over a state to see this information). A lighter shade of red indicates a smaller number of delegates while a darker shade indicates a higher number.

Republican primary/caucus calendar and delegate counts

The table below lists the number of pledged Republican delegates who were allocated as of each primary or caucus date. On March 1, 2016, 595 pledged Republican delegates were allocated, more than on any other single day in the 2016 primary season. In order to win the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, a candidate had to win 1,237 delegates at the national convention.


Argument that delegates were unbound

During the 2016 Republican presidential nomination process, there was debate about whether delegates to the Republican National Convention were bound to vote for the candidate that won their states' primary or caucus.[8][9][10][11]

Most Republican Party officials, like RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and a majority of Rules Committee members, supported the view that the Republican delegate allocation rules set by state parties and state laws were binding, and that pledged delegates were required to vote according to the results of their state’s primary or caucus.[12][13] However, some argued that the state party rules and laws were not binding at the convention. Rather, they argued, Rule 37(b) of the national party rules and historical precedent supported the interpretation that delegates could vote according to their own preferences.[8]

Former Republican National Committee member Curly Haugland wrote:[8]

“ “The history of the Republican National Convention proves that delegates have always, with the exception of 1976, been free to vote their conscience, and the rule that has protected this right over the last 136 years [Rule 37(b)] remains part of the temporary rules of the 2016 convention. The U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings on the issue also make clear that delegates are free to ignore state laws purporting to bind them, and the one national party rule purporting to bind delegates expires at the start of the convention.”

“These facts make clear that all delegates are completely unbound and free to vote their conscience on any and all matters that come before them, including the first ballot to decide the party’s nominee for president. No rule change is needed to unbind delegates, so long as the party stands by its 160-year history (aside from the blemish of 1976) protecting this important right.”[14]

”

Ultimately, the Rules Committee of the Republican National Convention in 2016 adopted a version of Rule 16 of the national party rules that affirmed the requirement for pledged delegates to vote according to how state party rules bound them. The rule said, “The Secretary of the Convention shall faithfully announce and record each delegate’s vote in accordance with the delegate’s obligation under Rule No. 16(a)(1), state law, or state party rule.” The Rules Committee also voted to amend Rule 37 with an additional clause saying, “Nothing in this rule shall be construed to prohibit the binding of delegates pursuant to Rule No. 16(a).” Steve Scheffler, a Rules Committee member and member of the Republican National Committee, said, “The voters have spoken. Why would 112 people [members of the Rules Committee] say, ‘We don’t care what you did, we’re going to set our own rules?’”[15]

Click on the following links to learn more about arguments for and against this interpretation of delegate binding:

Delegates by state

See also: Republican delegates by state, 2016

Members of Congress, governors, lieutenant governors, attorneys general, secretaries of state, state legislators, city councilors, school board members, party activists, business owners, current and past candidates for public office, donors, nonprofit executives, and political newcomers, the delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention represented a cross-section of the Republican Party with representatives from the federal, state, and local levels.

To paint a more vivid picture of the delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention, Ballotpedia set out to build profiles for all 2,472 of them. They can be accessed by clicking the links below.

How was this list compiled?

To compile our lists and profiles of the delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention, Ballotpedia primarily relied upon official lists provided by state and territorial Republican parties. In cases where we could not obtain official lists, we used unofficial lists provided by local media outlets. If you think we have made an error in identifying delegates or if you are aware of changes to a certain list or to a specific delegate's status, please send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Republican delegates by state

Washington, D.C., and the territories

State party rules

See also: Republican delegate rules by state, 2016

In most states, 2016 Republican state party rules or state election laws required delegates to vote at the Republican National Convention for the candidate to whom they were allocated or pledged themselves at the time of their election. However, the number of ballots a delegate was bound to vote for his or her candidate varied from state to state. In a majority of states, for example, the delegates were bound only on the first ballot. If no candidate had secured the nomination on the first ballot and additional rounds of balloting had taken place, these delegates could have become free agents and voted for whichever candidate they wished. In other states, delegates could potentially have been bound for two, three, four, or even all ballots.

Delegate rules by state

Washington, D.C., and the territories

*Ballotpedia was unable to find an official set of guidelines for Republican delegates from this U.S. territory.

RNC Rules Committee

See also: RNC Rules Committee, 2016

The generally-obscure Republican Rules Committee played a more prominent role than usual in the GOP's 2016 nominating process as it grabbed headlines and took center stage in the fight between NeverTrump and pro-Trump Republicans. But what exactly is the Rules Committee? What does it do? Who can serve on it? And what was its impact on 2016?

HIGHLIGHTS
  • The Rules Committee is responsible for crafting the official rules of the Republican Party, including the rules that govern the Republican National Convention. It is different from the RNC Standing Committee on Rules, which can be read about here.
  • The Rules Committee consists of 112 members with one male delegate and one female delegate from each state, territory, and Washington, D.C. They are elected at state conventions.
  • The rules package that the committee produced in July 2016 ultimately worked to the advantage of the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee. It rejected a proposal to unbind the delegates, tightened up the rules on binding, and authorized the RNC to amend rules in between the 2016 and 2020 conventions.

    • 2016 Rules Committee members

    This section includes known 2016 committee members.[16]

    Alabama

    Alaska

    Arkansas

    American Samoa

    Arizona

    Colorado

    Connecticut

    Delaware

    Florida

    Georgia

    Hawaii

    Iowa

    Idaho

    Illinois

    Indiana

    Kansas

    Kentucky

    Louisiana

    Massachusetts

    Maryland

    Maine

    Michigan

    Minnesota

    Mississippi

    Missouri

    Montana

    Nebraska

    New Hampshire

    New Jersey

    New Mexico

    New York

    Nevada

    North Carolina

    North Dakota

    Northern Marianas Islands

    Ohio

    Oklahoma

    Oregon

    Pennsylvania

    Puerto Rico

    Rhode Island

    South Carolina

    South Dakota

    Tennessee

    Texas

    Utah

    Vermont

    U.S. Virgin Islands

    Virginia

    Washington

    Washington, D.C.

    Wisconsin

    West Virginia

    Wyoming

    Rule 40

    See also: Rule 40 and its impact on the 2016 Republican National Convention

    This page examines the effect of Rule 40(b) of the Rules of the Republican Party on the party's 2016 presidential nomination process.

    HIGHLIGHTS
  • Rule 40(b) is an official rule of the Republican Party. As adopted in August 2012, it required a candidate for the Republican nomination for president to be able to demonstrate support from a majority of delegates in at least eight individual states in order to have his or her name placed on the nominating ballot at the Republican National Convention.
  • Experts argue that, in the form it took in August 2012, the primary purpose of the rule was to prevent Ron Paul from being considered for the Republican nomination in 2012 and to create a show of unity within the Republican Party heading into the 2012 general election. Leading up to the 2016 national convention, observers in the media and political insiders anticipated that Rule 40(b) could prevent some candidates (such as John Kasich) and potential candidates (such as Paul Ryan or Mitt Romney) from having their name placed on the nominating ballot at the convention and thereby hinder their chances of becoming the Republican nominee. But the rule ended up having less of an impact than most anticipated.
  • At the July 14 meeting of the Rules Committee in Cleveland, the committee voted to return the state threshold back to "five states" for the 2020 nominating season and changed "majority" back to "plurality." At the 2016 convention, however, the eight-state threshold and "majority" remained in place.

    • The Republican Platform and RNC Platform Committee

    See also: The Republican Platform and RNC Platform Committee, 2016

    As the fight for the Republican presidential nomination slowly began to settle in 2016, the attention of the media and political operatives quickly turned to a document known as the "platform," which outlines the Republican Party’s official principles, policy stances, and priorities. The body responsible for crafting the platform was the Platform Committee, a 112 member body that hammered out the details of the document and presented it to the delegates of the 2016 Republican National Convention for approval.

    This article breaks down what the GOP platform is and why it’s important as well as the responsibilities and membership of the Platform Committee.

    HIGHLIGHTS
  • The party platform outlines the official principles, policy stances, and priorities of the Republican Party.
  • It is important because it serves as a mechanism both for helping candidates up-and-down the ballot shape their messages and for holding candidates accountable to the broader party consensus.
  • The Platform Committee, a temporary 112 member body, is responsible for crafting the platform and presenting it to the delegates at the Republican National Convention for approval.

    • Ballotpedia Battleground Poll (June 10-22, 2016)

    See also: Ballotpedia's battleground poll, 2016

    Ballotpedia partnered with Evolving Strategies and surveyed voters across seven states (June 10 – 22) regarding their vote preferences. We tested six election scenarios. In one set, we matched Hillary Clinton (D) in a series of two-way contests with Donald Trump (R), Ohio Governor John Kasich (R), and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R). In the second set, we matched these same candidates in a series of three-way contests that also included former governor Gary Johnson.

    In all seven states, Clinton polled higher than Trump. The tightest battleground race between the two frontrunners was in Iowa, where Clinton led Trump by a weighted 4 percentage points. Clinton saw the largest lead in Michigan, where she led Trump by a weighted 17 percentage points. Comparatively, John Kasich polled ahead of Clinton in five of the seven states, and Paul Ryan polled ahead of Clinton in three states.


    BP Poll - Survey Results (percent support) Chart.png
    Evolving Strategies and Ballotpedia surveyed 4,242 registered voters, with a margin of error of +/-4.0%.

    Fundraising

    New legislation passed in 2014 altered the sources of funding for both the Republican and Democratic conventions. In April 2014, President Barack Obama (D) signed a bill that reallocated $126 million of federal money previously used to help pay for the party conventions to pediatric medical research.[17] Later, in October 2014, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) voted to allow each party to create a new national committee to raise funds for its convention.[18] The new policy enabled donors to contribute an additional $32,400 per year to cover convention expenses.[19][20]

    Recent news

    This section links to a Google news search for the term Republican + National + Convention + 2016


    Republican National Convention 2016 Candidates News Feed

    See also

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Politico, "Cleveland to host 2016 GOP convention," July 8, 2014
    2. ↑ Library of Congress, "Republican National Political Conventions, 1856-2008," accessed December 29, 2014
    3. ↑ CNN, "Presidential politics: Why Ohio is the 'big one'," accessed December 29, 2014
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cleveland.com, "Republican National Convention to transform and disrupt Cleveland: By the Numbers," accessed December 29, 2014
    5. ↑ Cleveland.com, "Dates set for Republican National Convention in Cleveland; 4-day event will run July 18-21," January 14, 2015
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Republican National Committee, "2016 Presidential Nominating Process," accessed October 11, 2015
    7. ↑ CNN.com, "Republican National Convention roll call vote," accessed July 20, 2016
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Hill, "All delegates are unbound," July 11, 2016
    9. ↑ National Review, "Not a Single Republican Delegate Is ‘Bound’ to Donald Trump," June 9, 2016
    10. ↑ The Hill, "GOP delegates are legitimately bound, deal with it," July 7, 2016
    11. ↑ The Green Papers, "THE TIES THAT BIND-- OR DO THEY?" March 19, 2016
    12. ↑ Politico, "Never Trump movement gets little help from convention rules panel roster," June 23, 2016
    13. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Anti-Donald Trump Forces See Convention Coup as Within Reach," July 6, 2016
    14. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    15. ↑ The New York Times, "Donald Trump and R.N.C. Crack Down on Rebelling Delegates," June 26, 2016
    16. ↑ This list is based on an official list from the RNC obtained by Ballotpedia on June 24, 2016.
    17. ↑ The Hill, "Obama signs bill shifting party convention funds to pediatric research," accessed December 29, 2014
    18. ↑ The Hill, "FEC helps parties on convention cash," accessed December 29, 2014
    19. ↑ Washington Post, "FEC says convention donations will not count against cap on party contributions," accessed December 29, 2014
    20. ↑ Cleveland.com, "Federal Election Commission allows parties to form new committees to fund political conventions," accessed December 29, 2014
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