Superdelegates from Washington, 2016
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Washington sent a total of 17 superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. They are listed below beneath the candidate they are known to have supported as of July 11, 2016.
Washington superdelegates
Clinton
- Adam Smith (Washington)
- Denny Heck
- Derek Kilmer
- Jay Inslee
- Jim McDermott (Washington)
- Maria Cantwell
- Patty Murray
- Rick Larsen
- Suzan DelBene
- Valerie Brady Rongey
- Rion Ramirez
Sanders
No Washington superdelegates were known to have supported Bernie Sanders at the convention.
Unknown
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.[1]
Washington caucus results
Bernie Sanders won the Washington Democratic caucus, beating Hillary Clinton by more than 40 points. Sanders carried every county in the state. He won Washington’s three largest counties by substantial margins: King, where Seattle is located, by roughly 34 points; Pierce by more than 40 points; and Snohomish by more than 50 points. In 2008, Clinton lost Washington to Barack Obama 31 to 68 percent. Like Sanders, Obama also won every county in the state.[2] One-hundred-one pledged delegates were up for grabs in the Washington Democratic caucus. They were allocated proportionally, with the lion’s share going to Sanders. Eight of Washington’s 17 superdelegates, including Governor Jay Inslee and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, publicly pledged to back Clinton prior to the March 26 caucus, according to The Seattle Times.[3] Two other western states also held Democratic caucuses on March 26: Hawaii and Alaska. Clinton won a non-binding Democratic primary election in Washington on May 24, 2016.[4]
| Washington Democratic Caucus, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Delegates | |
 Bernie Sanders |
72.7% | 19,135 | 74 | |
| Hillary Clinton | 27.1% | 7,136 | 27 | |
| Other | 0.2% | 43 | 0 | |
| Totals | 26,314 | 101 | ||
| Source: The New York Times and Washington State Democratic Party | ||||
Delegate allocation
Washington had 118 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 101 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 caucus results.[5][6]
Seventeen 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.[5][7]
See also
- Superdelegates and the 2016 Democratic National Convention
- Presidential election in Washington, 2016
- Democratic National Convention, 2016
- Democratic National Committee
Footnotes
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions," December 30, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "2008 Washington primary," accessed March 26, 2016
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "Bernie Sanders backers demand Washington superdelegates feel the Bern," March 26, 2016
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "Trump, Clinton win Washington state primary," May 24, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 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
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