Today Carbon County Democratic Chair Billy O’Gurek and I attended a meeting to learn about the delegate selection rules for the Presidential nominating convention to be held in Milwaukee in 2020.
We learned that the Pennsylvania delegation will be cut back this year because the state voted for Trump in 2016. States that supported Clinton get a higher proportion delegates than states that did not.
We also learned that the formula for Congressional districts is based on the vote for Clinton in 2016 and the vote for Governor Wolf in 2018. The 9th, where Carbon is located, didn’t do too well on either of those votes, so our district will be given four delegates. Some districts in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are allotted eight, but to me that seems fair because that’s where the Dems live.
To run you need to pick a candidate, and you need 250 signatures of registered Democrats. There is also a $25 filing fee. The catch is that you have to pick the candidate you support by the middle of next February, but our primary isn’t held until June. Let’s say you decide you want to be a delegate for Beto O’Rourke, but he drops out in April. You’re out.
I was impressed by the state party’s attempt to get the word out and its efforts to make the delegates representative on the state’s Democrats. The Democratic Party is so idealistic and tries to be so inclusive. It makes me proud.
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