Minnesota Democratic caucuses, 2008
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota
Democratic
Caucus took place on Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008 with 78 delegates at stake. The winner in each of Minnesota's eight congressional districts was awarded all of that district's delegates, totaling 47. Another 25 delegates were awarded to the statewide winner, Barack Obama
. The 72 delegates represented Minnesota at the Democratic National Convention
in Denver, Colorado
. Sixteen other unpledged delegates, known as superdelegate
s, also attended the convention and cast their votes as well.
Candidates Joe Biden
, Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich
, Bill Richardson, and John Edwards
dropped out of the presidential race before the Minnesota Democratic Caucus.
In 2008, there were more than 4,000 precinct caucus sites. Any Minnesotan who would be eligible to vote in the November general election, was not an active member of a party other than the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
, and agreed with DFL party principles was allowed to participate. All participants, by signing in, affirmed their agreement with the DFL's principles. The caucus included a presidential preference primary, in which voters cast secret ballots for presidential candidates. These results were tallied and used to elect 47 delegates from each of the state's eight congressional districts as follows:
An additional 25 pledged delegates were then allocated based upon the statewide caucus vote. Sixteen of these delegates were allocated for Barack Obama while nine were allocated for Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The remaining 16 delegates were unpledged superdelegate
s. The 14 Democratic Party Leaders and Elected Officials (PLEOs) included seven Democratic National Committee
members, six members of the United States Congress
, and former Vice President
Walter Mondale
. There were also two unpledged add-on delegates, elected at the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party State Convention.
Caucuses that night.
Following the results of the Super Tuesday elections, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
endorsed Barack Obama.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Caucus took place on Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008 with 78 delegates at stake. The winner in each of Minnesota's eight congressional districts was awarded all of that district's delegates, totaling 47. Another 25 delegates were awarded to the statewide winner, Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. The 72 delegates represented Minnesota at the Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. Sixteen other unpledged delegates, known as superdelegate
Superdelegate
"Superdelegate" is an informal term commonly used for some of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Democratic Party....
s, also attended the convention and cast their votes as well.
Candidates
- Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
- Mike GravelMike GravelMaurice Robert "Mike" Gravel is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a former candidate in the 2008 presidential election....
- Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
Candidates Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
, Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
, Bill Richardson, and John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
dropped out of the presidential race before the Minnesota Democratic Caucus.
Money Raised from Minnesota
| Candidate | Money raised (US$ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
|---|---|
| Joe Biden Joe Biden Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama... |
$11,290 |
| Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the... |
$630,361 |
| Chris Dodd | $63,130 |
| John Edwards John Edwards Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in... |
$218,697 |
| Mike Gravel Mike Gravel Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a former candidate in the 2008 presidential election.... |
$500 |
| Dennis Kucinich Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections.... |
$9,640 |
| Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
$614,569 |
| Bill Richardson | $82,094 |
Process
Of the 88 delegates, 72 were allocated based on the results of the caucuses. Candidates were required to reach a threshold of 15 percent support at the precinct, congressional district, and statewide levels. Unlike other caucuses, there was no realignment of nonviable groups, and the results were binding for the delegates.In 2008, there were more than 4,000 precinct caucus sites. Any Minnesotan who would be eligible to vote in the November general election, was not an active member of a party other than the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
, and agreed with DFL party principles was allowed to participate. All participants, by signing in, affirmed their agreement with the DFL's principles. The caucus included a presidential preference primary, in which voters cast secret ballots for presidential candidates. These results were tallied and used to elect 47 delegates from each of the state's eight congressional districts as follows:
| Congressional District |
Pledged Delegates |
|---|---|
| 1st | 5 |
| 2nd | 5 |
| 3rd | 6 |
| 4th | 7 |
| 5th | 8 |
| 6th | 5 |
| 7th | 5 |
| 8th | 6 |
| Total | 47 |
An additional 25 pledged delegates were then allocated based upon the statewide caucus vote. Sixteen of these delegates were allocated for Barack Obama while nine were allocated for Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The remaining 16 delegates were unpledged superdelegate
Superdelegate
"Superdelegate" is an informal term commonly used for some of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Democratic Party....
s. The 14 Democratic Party Leaders and Elected Officials (PLEOs) included seven Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
members, six members of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, and former Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
. There were also two unpledged add-on delegates, elected at the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party State Convention.
Pre-Caucus Events, Predictions, and Polls
Polling showed a tightening race for the nomination.| Candidate | Sept. 18-23, 2007 | Jan. 18-27, 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the... |
47% | 40% |
| Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
22% | 33% |
| John Edwards John Edwards Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in... |
16% | 12% |
Caucus Night
Minnesotans turned out in record numbers to attend the 2008 Democratic Caucuses in locations throughout the state. The previous record turnout was about 80,000 in 1968 or 1972; the 2008 turnout exceeded 214,000. As the caucus results came in, Barack Obama consistently held a two-to-one lead over Hillary Rodham Clinton with strong support all throughout the state. Turnout at the Democratic Caucuses was significantly higher than at the Minnesota RepublicanRepublican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
Caucuses that night.
Following the results of the Super Tuesday elections, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
Amy Klobuchar
Amy Jean Klobuchar is the senior United States Senator from Minnesota. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, an affiliate of the Democratic Party...
endorsed Barack Obama.
Results
| Minnesota Democratic Presidential Caucus Results – 2008 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Delegates | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
142,109 | 66.39% | 48 | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the... |
68,994 | 32.23% | 24 | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Uncommitted | 1,312 | 0.61% | 0 | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
John Edwards John Edwards Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in... |
985 | 0.46% | 0 | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Dennis Kucinich Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections.... |
361 | 0.17% | 0 | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Joe Biden Joe Biden Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama... |
129 | 0.06% | 0 | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Bill Richardson | 82 | 0.04% | 0 | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Christopher Dodd Christopher Dodd Christopher John "Chris" Dodd is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress.... |
77 | 0.04% | 0 | ||
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Frank Lynch | 17 | 0.01% | 0 | ||
| Totals | 214,066 | 100.00% | 72 | |||
| Voter turnout | % | — | ||||
See also
- Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008The 2008 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
- Minnesota Republican caucuses, 2008Minnesota Republican caucuses, 2008The 2008 Minnesota Republican caucuses took place on February 5, 2008, with 38 national delegates at stake. The caucuses were considered a non-binding straw poll, since Minnesota officially chose 24 delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention during district conventions from May 3 to May...
External links
- League of Women Voters of Minnesota Information on caucuses and voting
- Minnesota Public Radio, Campaign 2008: Presidential Race Campaign news and polls
- Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Detailed caucus information