PHILADELPHIA – The role of superdelegates could be significantly reduced in future Democratic presidential primaries under a compromise deal struck at the Democratic National Convention rules committee meeting.
The Democratic National Committee, members of the Hillary Clinton camp, and the Bernie Sanders camp have been working together for over a month. The goal has been to make sure Sanders, is a vocal supporter of Clinton and Democratic candidates running nationwide.
Sanders will speak Monday night and he has been given a great deal of concession’s that the DNC will help him be a advocate for the party. He won by having Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman – Scultz removed as convention chair and she won’t be speaking either.
Here future as head of the Democratic Nation committee is also up in the air at the moment.
Efforts by Bernie Sanders supporters to pass amendments eliminating or limiting the power of superdelegates failed to win approval at the committee meeting Saturday in Philadelphia. But campaigns for Sanders and Hillary Clinton worked out an agreement to create a “unity commission” to revise the nominating process, including changing superdelegate rules. The agreement won near-unanimous support.
The 21-member commission will study a number of issues, including how to improve access to caucuses and how to broaden the party’s appeal.
The Bernie Sanders team did win a major concession as the Democratic Platform Committee approved nearly unanimously an amendment that preserves the existing superdelegate role for elected U.S. lawmakers and governors, but will bind the remaining superdelegates — roughly two-thirds — to primary and caucus results.
The new rule, which will still need to be formally approved by the DNC and won’t be in effect until the next presidential election, establishes a “Unity Commission” to make recommendations on the reforms.
“The Commission shall make specific recommendations providing that Members of Congress, Governors, and distinguished party leaders remain unpledged and free to support their nominee of choice,” reads the amendment, “but that remaining unpledged delegates be required to cast their vote at the Convention for candidates in proportion to the vote received for each candidate in their state.”
The 21 members of the commission are to be appointed no later than 60 days after the November general election. Nine will be appointed by Clinton, seven by Sanders and three by the DNC chair. It will be chaired by Clinton supporter Jennifer O’Malley Dillon and vice-chaired by Sanders supporter and former president of Communications Workers of America Larry Cohen. The commission will aim to be evenly split between men and women and geographically and demographically diverse.
The commission would report its recommendations by Jan. 1, 2018, with the Rules and Bylaws Committee taking action on its report within six months.
