Steven Powell (Illinois)
| Steven Powell | |
| Democratic National Convention, 2016 | |
| Status: | Superdelegate |
| State: | Illinois |
| Supporting: | Hillary Clinton |
| Delegates to the DNC 2016 | |
| Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • State election law and delegates • Superdelegates by state | |
Steven Powell was a superdelegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention from Illinois.[1] Powell was one of 27 superdelegates from Illinois. Superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention were not bound by the results of their state’s primary or caucus to support a specific presidential candidate. Powell 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]
Illinois primary results
- See also: Presidential election in Illinois, 2016
Hillary Clinton won the Illinois Democratic primary election, beating Bernie Sanders by less than two percentage points. Clinton carried Cook County, where the city of Chicago is located, 54 to 46 percent. African American voters made up 28 percent of the Democratic electorate in Illinois, according to exit poll data. Clinton won African Americans 70 to 30 percent over Sanders.[5]
| Illinois Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Delegates | |
 Hillary Clinton |
50.6% | 1,039,555 | 79 | |
| Bernie Sanders | 48.6% | 999,494 | 77 | |
| Willie Wilson | 0.3% | 6,565 | 0 | |
| Martin O'Malley | 0.3% | 6,197 | 0 | |
| Larry Cohen | 0.1% | 2,407 | 0 | |
| Roque De La Fuente | 0.1% | 1,802 | 0 | |
| David Formhals | 0% | 25 | 0 | |
| Brian O'Neill | 0% | 2 | 0 | |
| Totals | 2,056,047 | 156 | ||
| Source: The New York Times and Illinois State Board of Elections | ||||
Delegate allocation
Illinois had 183 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 156 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide primary results.[6][7]
Twenty-seven party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.[6][8]
See also
- Democratic National Convention, 2016
- 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules
- Presidential election, 2016
- Presidential candidates, 2016
- Presidential election in Illinois, 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.
- ↑ “Chicago Sun Times, “Hillary Clinton unveils key Illinois Democratic National Committee backers,” January 28, 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
- ↑ CNN, "Illinois exit polls," March 16, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
- ↑ The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
- ↑ Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016
| ||||||||||||||||
