NEWS

Oregon superdelegates weigh in on selection process

Gordon Friedman
Statesman Journal

Two weeks before Oregon's primary election, most of the state's Democratic superdelegates have already declared which presidential candidate they will support.

But among those 13 superdelegates, there is a mix of disdain, support and consideration for change.

Oregon's superdelegates are Gov. Kate Brown, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, six members of Congress, and five leaders of the Oregon Democratic Party. They are part of Oregon's total 74 delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

Superdelegates are different from regular delegates because they can vote for any candidate they want at the convention, where the nominee is selected. The Republican Party has superdelegates, but they are pledged to the state's primary winner.

Superdelegates have the power to potentially swing the Democratic nomination for a candidate who did not win in the primaries. In practice, they have never changed the outcome of a Democratic convention.

The superdelegate system was implemented after the hard-fought 1980 Democratic primaries, during which Ted Kennedy challenged incumbent Jimmy Carter.

Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, writes that the democratization of the primary made it messy for party leaders. They sought more control after Carter lost in a landslide to Ronald Reagan.

Former North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt, who headed the commission to change Democratic nomination rules, said after the 1980 election that the party needed "flexibility" in times when "the voters’ mandate is less than clear, to make a reasoned choice."

The superdelegate system was then born.

Superdelegates are facing scrutiny this election cycle, as candidates in both major parties have questioned whether the nomination process is fair.

"The superdelegates are being put under a microscope like they never have before," said Jim Moore, professor and director of the Tom McCall Center for Policy Innovation at Pacific University.

Moore said there's an argument to be made that Oregon's superdelegates should support whoever wins the state primary because of the high voter turnout.

At this point it hardly matters, he said, because of Hillary Clinton's "almost insurmountable" lead in the delegate count.

Even before Tuesday's tight Indiana primary, Clinton had garnered seven of the state's nine superdelegates.

Mixed feelings on primary system

All but two superdelegates responded to a Statesman Journal survey: Democratic Party of Oregon members Laura Calvo and Lupita Maurer.

Of those who responded, Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Peter DeFazio expressed the harshest critiques of the system.

"I personally don’t like the superdelegate system," Merkley said. "I think that they should be minimized or eliminated."

Merkley said Oregon voters have expressed to him "substantial concerns" about the superdelegate system.

He is the only member of the Senate to endorse Bernie Sanders.

A rush of superdelegate endorsements for Clinton at the outset of the race amounted to her winning several states, Merkley added.

DeFazio said he does not support the superdelegate system because it is "undemocratic," adding that he will not choose a candidate until after the Oregon primary.

Others support the system, they say, because it means the Democratic Party can maintain control over wayward candidates.

"The idea is to prevent what we’re seeing on the other side, where an unqualified demagogue is taking their party in a dangerous direction," said Sen. Ron Wyden, a superdelegate who is endorsing Hillary Clinton.

Rep. Kurt Schrader, who pledged support for Clinton, said "the Republican Party wishes they had superdelegates" to "prevent disastrous candidates like Donald Trump." The system is not meant to sway the nomination, he said.

Gov. Kate Brown said she understands the criticisms of the superdelegate system, but "it is the system that we have for now."

She added: "I think the most important thing a superdelegate can do within this system is to be completely transparent about who they are supporting and why."

Schrader and representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Earl Blumenauer said they are open to talk of change.

Oregon's primary election is May 17. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for July 25 in Philadelphia.

gfriedman2@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6653. Follow on Twitter@GordonRFriedman

Oregon superdelegates supporting Hillary Clinton:

  • Gov. Kate Brown
  • Sen. Ron Wyden
  • Rep. Kurt Schrader
  • Rep. Earl Blumenauer
  • Rep. Suzanna Bonamici
  • Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum

Oregon superdelegates supporting Bernie Sanders:

  • Sen. Jeff Merkley

Oregon superdelegates uncommitted to a candidate:

  • Rep. Peter DeFazio
  • Laura Calvo*
  • Frank Dixon*
  • Lupita Maurer*  
  • Karen Packer*
  • Larry Taylor*

* Democratic Party of Oregon member