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President Joe Biden’s decision to drop his reelection bid Sunday quickly focused attention on the little-known group of delegates who will decide his replacement at next month’s Democratic convention.
On Monday, they made their preferences clear: Meeting by phone in the evening, the 273 delegates Texas is sending to Chicago for the August convention voted in large numbers to support Vice President Kamala Harris for the party's presidential nomination. Around the country other delegations were making similar moves.
The group, a mix of rank-and-file activists and elected party leaders, has traditionally served as a rubber stamp for the person Democratic primary voters choose to be their nominee. But Biden's exit from the race gave the group unusual power as questions emerged about how the party would pick a nominee.
In the end, the novel process moved quickly. Multiple news outlets reported Monday that Harris had won the support of a majority of delegates nationwide. And no credible challengers to her bid have emerged.
A formal vote still needs to happen — and rules for that vote need to be announced. But Harris appears to have effectively wrapped up the nomination.
What will the nominating process look like?
Much of the decision-making process remained unknown immediately after Biden’s announcement. Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said his organization would unveil details “in short order” about “next steps and the path forward for the nomination process.”
This will be updated once the committee releases more information.
Can delegates back anyone they choose?
None of Biden’s delegates are required to back a specific candidate at the national convention. Biden quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him as the nominee, and while the public show of support could sway delegates to follow suit, none of them are bound to do so.
To forestall convention chaos, Democrats could theoretically pick a new nominee at a pre-convention virtual vote where they had planned to officially nominate Biden, according to The Washington Post. The other outcome is an open convention, where delegates would be free to side with a candidate of their choosing. No other major candidate has emerged to challenge Harris, who said her “intention is to earn and win” the Democratic nomination.
How were Texas’ delegates selected?
Texas’ has 273 delegates — more than any state but California and New York. There are four kinds of delegates, with each selected in different ways.
The biggest contingent is the 159 delegates who were elected from various congressional districts at last month’s Texas Democratic Convention, with each district receiving different numbers of delegates based on its Democratic turnout in recent presidential elections. These so-called “district-level” delegates are typically rank-and-file party members who are Democratic activists.
Another 53 “at-large” delegates — representing the state as a whole — were selected at last month’s state convention, many of them also rank-and-file activists.
Texas will also send 32 “party leader and elected official” delegates. They include big city mayors, state lawmakers and various other leaders, according to the Texas Democratic Party.
The final 29 delegates are automatically selected party leaders, akin to superdelegates, that include members of the Democratic National Committee who live in Texas and the state’s entire Democratic congressional delegation.
Are Texas delegates supporting Harris?
During a state party meeting held by phone on Monday evening, the Texas Democratic National Delegation voted 260-6 to endorse Harris. State Rep. Senfronia Thompson of Houston, a Black woman and the longest-serving Democrat in the Legislature, made the motion. Several delegates, including members of Congress, had been quick to rally behind Harris Sunday afternoon. Among them were U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat who was a national co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign; U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas; and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio.
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A small number had urged the party to have an open discussion about who the nominee would be, but when the 273 delegates met late Monday, it was clear that this group was a tiny faction. The most prominent voice on that side was from U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, who had said earlier that the party “should be open to all talented individuals who wish to be considered.”
The motion does not force Texas' delegates to next month's Democratic National Convention to vote for Harris as the nominee. The vote made the point, however, that Texas Democrats are solidly behind Harris.
After the vote, Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement: “With her extensive experience, dedication to public service, and proven leadership, we believe Kamala Harris is uniquely qualified to defeat Donald Trump and lead our nation forward – championing the values and ideals that unite us as a country.”
How much time is there to select a new nominee?
Democrats have about a month to act to ensure their nominee makes it onto the ballot in Texas.
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The Texas election code states that if a presidential nominee withdraws by the 74th day before Election Day — Aug. 23, in this case — then the Texas secretary of state can certify a replacement. The law requires the Texas Democratic Party chair to submit the replacement nominee no later than 5 p.m. of the 71st day before the election day, or Aug. 26.
The timing lines up with the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled for Aug. 19 through Aug. 22.
Disclosure: Texas Secretary of State has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Information about the authors
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Jasper Scherer
Politics Reporter
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Renzo Downey
Lead Writer, The Blast
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