Oklahoma Democratic primary, 2008
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma
Democratic primary, 2008, part of the process of selecting that party's nominee for President of the United States
, took place on February 5, one of the many nominating contests of 2008's "Super Tuesday". The primary election chose 38 pledged delegates to represent Oklahoma at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
. The remainder of Oklahoma's 47 delegates consisted of unpledged superdelegate
s not bound by the results of the primary. The election was a closed primary, meaning that only registered Democrats could vote in this election. Hillary Clinton won the primary by a significant margin.
Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama
, and Jim Rogers appeared on the ballot, together with four candidates who had already withdrawn from the contest: Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich
, and John Edwards
. All but Rogers had run nationwide campaigns for the presidential nomination; Rogers is a perennial candidate
in Oklahoma who had run for Lieutenant Governor
in 2006.
by about one thousand votes. Oklahoma had been a key state for John Edwards
as he made stops in the state January 15 and 18, over three weeks ahead of the primary date, but Edwards withdrew on January 30th 2008. Former President Bill Clinton
stopped at the University of Oklahoma
on January 30th to speak at a rally supporting his wife.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
Democratic primary, 2008, part of the process of selecting that party's nominee for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, took place on February 5, one of the many nominating contests of 2008's "Super Tuesday". The primary election chose 38 pledged delegates to represent Oklahoma at the 2008 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,...
. The remainder of Oklahoma's 47 delegates consisted of 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 not bound by the results of the primary. The election was a closed primary, meaning that only registered Democrats could vote in this election. Hillary Clinton won the primary by a significant margin.
Hillary Clinton, 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...
, and Jim Rogers appeared on the ballot, together with four candidates who had already withdrawn from the contest: Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson, 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....
, 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...
. All but Rogers had run nationwide campaigns for the presidential nomination; Rogers is a perennial candidate
Perennial candidate
A perennial candidate is one who frequently runs for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if existent at all. Perennial candidates are often either members of minority political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope...
in Oklahoma who had run for Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
The Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the Lieutenant Governor becomes the new Governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resignation, or removal of the Governor...
in 2006.
Pre-primary polling, predictions, and events
Early polling in Oklahoma consistently showed Clinton and Edwards to be the leaders in the state, and Obama a more distant third. The polling also indicated that other candidates were barely registering. In 2004 Edwards narrowly finished second in Oklahoma behind Wesley ClarkWesley Clark
Wesley Kanne Clark, Sr., is a retired general of the United States Army. Graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1966 at West Point, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford where he obtained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and later graduated from the...
by about one thousand votes. Oklahoma had been a key state for 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...
as he made stops in the state January 15 and 18, over three weeks ahead of the primary date, but Edwards withdrew on January 30th 2008. Former President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
stopped at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
on January 30th to speak at a rally supporting his wife.
Money raised from Oklahoma
Obtained from The Oklahoman| 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.... ) |
|---|---|
| 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... |
$397,316 |
| 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... |
$396,592 |
| Bill Richardson | $83,070 |
| Hillary Clinton | $508,050 |
| 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... |
$5,400 |
| Chris Dodd | $850 |
| 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.... |
$3,767 |
Delegates
Oklahoma sent 47 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. In order to secure pledged delegates, a candidate had to receive at least 15% of the vote. The delegates were broken down into the following categories:- 38 pledged delegates, allocated based on the results of the primary:
- 25 District Level Delegates were allotted proportionally based on the support each candidate received in each congressional district. There were 5 delegates for each congressional district.
- 8 At-large Delegates were allotted proportionally based on the support each candidate received statewide.
- 5 party leaders and elected officials ("PLEO Delegates") were allotted proportionally based on the support each candidate received statewide.
- 9 unpledged superdelegateSuperdelegate"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 consisting of PLEOs were not bound by the results of the primary.
Results
| Key: | Withdrew prior to contest |
| Oklahoma Democratic presidential primary, 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | National delegates |
| Hillary Clinton | 228,480 | 54.76% | 24 |
| 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... |
130,130 | 31.19% | 14 |
| 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... |
42,725 | 10.24% | 0 |
| Bill Richardson | 7,078 | 1.70% | 0 |
| Jim Rogers | 3,905 | 0.94% | 0 |
| 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.... |
2,511 | 0.60% | 0 |
| 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.... |
2,378 | 0.57% | 0 |
| Totals | 417,207 | 100.00% | 38 |
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...
- Oklahoma Republican primary, 2008Oklahoma Republican primary, 2008The Oklahoma Republican primary, 2008 was held on February 5, with 41 delegates at stake. It was a closed primary, meaning only registered Republicans could vote in the election. The primary was on Super Tuesday on the same day as twenty-three other states...