Texas Democratic primary and caucuses, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Texas Democratic primary and caucuses were a series of events to determine the delegate
s that the Texas Democratic Party
sent to the 2008 Democratic National Convention
. Delegates were selected using results from two sources: the Texas Presidential Primary held on March 4 by the Secretary of State of Texas's
office, and a series of caucus events held between March 4 and June 7 by the Texas Democratic Party. The indecisive results of Super Tuesday, and the fact that Texas had the largest number of delegates among the states remaining on the Democratic primary calendar, resulted in the Texas primary receiving significant attention from both the Hillary Clinton
and Barack Obama
campaigns.
Of 12,752,417 registered voters, 22.49% turned out. The contest between the two candidates was very close: Senator Hillary Clinton won the primary, while her opponent, Senator Barack Obama
, received more support in the caucuses. In the end, Obama secured 99 pledged delegates to Clinton's 94.
s" because their votes their vote represented their personal decisions, whereas the regular delegates' votes represented the collective decision of many voters. Superdelegates were free to vote for any candidate at the National Convention and were selected by the Texas Democratic Party's officials.
The 193 pledged delegates were further divided into 126 district delegates and 67 state-wide delegates. The 126 district delegates were divided among Texas's 31 Senatorial Districts and were allocated to the presidential candidates based on the primary results in each District. The 67 state-wide delegates were divided into 42 at-large delegates and 25 Party Leaders and Elected Officials (abbreviated PLEOs). They were allocated to the presidential candidates based on the preference of the delegates at the State Convention on June 6–7.
Of the 35 unpledged delegates, 32 were selected in advance and 3 were selected at the State Convention. The delegates selected in advance were 17 Democratic National Committee members, the 13 Democratic U.S. Representatives from Texas, and 2 Distinguished Party Leaders: former U.S. House Speaker Jim Wright
and former DNC chairman Robert Schwarz Strauss
.
, permitting participants to vote for candidates in any one party, regardless of voters' party affiliations. Participants were then considered as restricted to that party for the purpose of calculations regarding primaries and runoff elections for the next two years. The Primary itself was funded by the Texas State Government and administered by the Secretary of the State of Texas's office. The Texas Democratic Party used the results of the Primary to determine how its 126 district delegates would be apportioned to each presidential candidate.
Unlike other states, and even the Republican Party of Texas
, the Texas Democratic Party does not allocate its delegates to Congressional Districts. Instead, it allocates its delegates to the state's 31 Senatorial Districts. The number of delegates that the Party allocates to each District depends on the votes cast in each district for the Democratic candidates during two previous general elections: Chris Bell
in the 2006 Texas gubernatorial election
and John Kerry
in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. One effect of this allocation scheme is that districts with a high population of African-American residents are awarded a higher number of delegates, while districts with a high population of Hispanic residents are awarded a lower number.
Primary polling places
were open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. In accordance with the law, any voter in line by 7:00 p.m. was permitted to vote. The Texas Secretary of State had a web site that provides the location of polling places. The site also offered a list of contact numbers for local county clerks and elections administrators where voters may obtain polling place location information. The Texas Democratic Party's official web site also included information about the locations of polling places.
testified against the Texas Two-Step at a hearing of Senator West's committee held in Austin.
Participation was open to anyone who voted in the Primary, whether they voted early, as an absentee, or on the day of the Primary. Participants had to sign in and provide proof that they voted in the Primary. Such proof could be provided in one of several ways: showing a registration card that was stamped at the Primary, producing an early voting receipt, providing an official photo identification that can be checked against a roll of early voters, or signing an affidavit
(oath). Texas Democratic precinct conventions are governed by Robert's Rules of Order
and Texas Democratic Party Rules. Participants arriving late to the convention could still participate but could not affect any voting that had already taken place.
When the time came to select the Precinct Delegates, participants declared their candidate preference, or that they were uncommitted, which is an option not available on the primary ballot. The participants in each presidential candidate preference group then chose the delegates to represent them at the County and Senate District conventions.
A total of 8,247 precinct conventions were held throughout the 254 counties in Texas, most of which were held at each precinct's Primary polling place.
Concerns had been raised in the media about the logistics in place for the precinct conventions in light of the unprecedented massive participation. For example, in Harris County —of which Houston is the seat, and in which 874 conventions are scheduled— the highest primary turn-out in the past two decades was 78,000 in 2004, whereas 170,032 have already voted early in this year's Primary. Typically about 5,000 people attend the precinct conventions held throughout Harris County; up to 100,000 were expected to participate this year. In the event, there was an estimated turnout of one million throughout the state, and as of March 11 the final result of the caucuses in Harris County was unknown., as party volunteers were still collecting packets from that county's 874 precincts. The Dallas Morning News reported a projected turnout of 1.1 million. Overall, less than half of the precincts statewide had reported to the state Democratic party by mid-March.
National pledged delegates determined: 126 (of 193)
National pledged delegates determined: 0 (of 193)
National pledged delegates determined: 0 (of 193)
National pledged delegates determined: 67 (of 193)
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
s that the Texas Democratic Party
Texas Democratic Party
The Texas Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in Texas and the local branch of the United States Democratic Party. It is headquartered in Downtown Austin within close proximity to the Texas State Capitol.-19th century:...
sent to 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,...
. Delegates were selected using results from two sources: the Texas Presidential Primary held on March 4 by the Secretary of State of Texas's
Secretary of State of Texas
The Secretary of State of Texas is one of six state officials designated by the Texas Constitution to form the executive department of that U.S. state...
office, and a series of caucus events held between March 4 and June 7 by the Texas Democratic Party. The indecisive results of Super Tuesday, and the fact that Texas had the largest number of delegates among the states remaining on the Democratic primary calendar, resulted in the Texas primary receiving significant attention from both the Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008
New York junior Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton had expressed interest in the 2008 United States presidential election since at least October 2002, drawing media speculation on whether she would become a candidate. No woman has ever won the nomination of a major party in the...
and Barack Obama
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
campaigns.
Of 12,752,417 registered voters, 22.49% turned out. The contest between the two candidates was very close: Senator Hillary Clinton won the primary, while her opponent, Senator 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...
, received more support in the caucuses. In the end, Obama secured 99 pledged delegates to Clinton's 94.
Delegate breakdown
The Texas Democratic Party sent a total of 228 delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Of those delegates, 193 were pledged and 35 were unpledged. Most of the 193 pledged delegates were allocated at the National Convention according to the results of the Texas Presidential Primary on March 4. The 35 unpledged delegates were popularly called "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" because their votes their vote represented their personal decisions, whereas the regular delegates' votes represented the collective decision of many voters. Superdelegates were free to vote for any candidate at the National Convention and were selected by the Texas Democratic Party's officials.
The 193 pledged delegates were further divided into 126 district delegates and 67 state-wide delegates. The 126 district delegates were divided among Texas's 31 Senatorial Districts and were allocated to the presidential candidates based on the primary results in each District. The 67 state-wide delegates were divided into 42 at-large delegates and 25 Party Leaders and Elected Officials (abbreviated PLEOs). They were allocated to the presidential candidates based on the preference of the delegates at the State Convention on June 6–7.
Of the 35 unpledged delegates, 32 were selected in advance and 3 were selected at the State Convention. The delegates selected in advance were 17 Democratic National Committee members, the 13 Democratic U.S. Representatives from Texas, and 2 Distinguished Party Leaders: former U.S. House Speaker Jim Wright
Jim Wright
James Claude Wright, Jr. , usually known as Jim Wright, is a former Democratic U.S. Congressman from Texas who served 34 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and was the Speaker of the House from 1987 to 1989.-Early life:...
and former DNC chairman Robert Schwarz Strauss
Robert Schwarz Strauss
Robert Schwarz Strauss is a figure in American politics and diplomacy. A Texas political figure, Strauss’s political service dates back to future president Lyndon Johnson’s first congressional campaign in 1937. By the 1950s, he was associated in Texas politics with the conservative faction of...
.
Delegate selection process
The Texas Democratic Party used a combination of two processes to select delegates and determine how they would be allocated to each presidential candidate. First, the Party used the results of the primary process to determine how 126 of its 193 pledged delegates would be allocated to each candidate. Second, the Party used the caucus process to select its precinct, county, state, and national delegates, and also to determine how many of the remaining 67 pledged delegates would be allocated to each candidate. Many states require that candidates receive at least 15% of the total votes to receive delegates. The Texas Democratic Party only applies this requirement to the primary process and the final step of the caucus process, since those are the only two occasions in which the Party allocates delegates to candidates.Primary
The Texas Presidential Primary was held on March 4. It was an open primaryOpen primary
An open primary is a primary election that does not require voters to be affiliated with a political party in order to vote for partisan candidates. In a traditional open primary, voters may select one party's ballot and vote for that party's nomination. As in a closed primary, the highest voted...
, permitting participants to vote for candidates in any one party, regardless of voters' party affiliations. Participants were then considered as restricted to that party for the purpose of calculations regarding primaries and runoff elections for the next two years. The Primary itself was funded by the Texas State Government and administered by the Secretary of the State of Texas's office. The Texas Democratic Party used the results of the Primary to determine how its 126 district delegates would be apportioned to each presidential candidate.
Unlike other states, and even the Republican Party of Texas
Republican Party of Texas
The Republican Party of Texas is one of the two major political parties in the U.S. State of Texas. It is affiliated with the United States Republican Party. The State Chairman is Steve Munisteri, a retired attorney and businessman from Houston, and the Vice-Chair is Melinda Fredricks of Conroe....
, the Texas Democratic Party does not allocate its delegates to Congressional Districts. Instead, it allocates its delegates to the state's 31 Senatorial Districts. The number of delegates that the Party allocates to each District depends on the votes cast in each district for the Democratic candidates during two previous general elections: Chris Bell
Chris Bell (politician)
Robert Christopher "Chris" Bell is a Democratic Party politician. He last served as a one-term congressman in the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 25th congressional district in Houston from 2003 to 2005 before being defeated in the Democratic primary by Justice of the Peace Al...
in the 2006 Texas gubernatorial election
Texas gubernatorial election, 2006
The 2006 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006 to select the next governor of the state of Texas, who is serving a four year term that began on January 16, 2007. The Republican and Democratic Parties chose their candidates by primaries and convention. Primaries were held on...
and John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. One effect of this allocation scheme is that districts with a high population of African-American residents are awarded a higher number of delegates, while districts with a high population of Hispanic residents are awarded a lower number.
Primary polling places
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
were open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. In accordance with the law, any voter in line by 7:00 p.m. was permitted to vote. The Texas Secretary of State had a web site that provides the location of polling places. The site also offered a list of contact numbers for local county clerks and elections administrators where voters may obtain polling place location information. The Texas Democratic Party's official web site also included information about the locations of polling places.
Caucuses
The Texas Democratic Party holds three tiers of caucus events to select its delegates: precinct conventions, County and Senatorial District conventions, and a State Convention. The precinct conventions immediately followed the primary, a process in 2008 that was advertised as the "Texas Two-Step". Senator Royce West is chair of the Advisory Committee on the Texas Democratic Party Convention/Caucus System, which is charged with investigating the caucus system, including whether to retain the Texas Two Step. Former Texas Attorney general Jim MattoxJim Mattox
James Albon Mattox was a Dallas lawyer and Texas Democratic politician who served three terms in the United States House of Representatives and two four-year terms as state Attorney General, but lost high profile races for Governor in 1990, the U.S. Senate in 1994, and again as attorney general...
testified against the Texas Two-Step at a hearing of Senator West's committee held in Austin.
Precinct conventions
The precinct conventions were held beginning March 4 at 7:15 p.m. (15 minutes after the Primary polls close) or after the last person in line at 7:00 p.m. had voted. At each precinct convention, participants chose Precinct Delegates to go to the County or Senate District conventions. The Texas Democratic Party allocated one Precinct Delegate to each precinct for every 15 votes cast for Chris Bell (the party's gubernatorial candidate) in the 2006 Texas general election.Participation was open to anyone who voted in the Primary, whether they voted early, as an absentee, or on the day of the Primary. Participants had to sign in and provide proof that they voted in the Primary. Such proof could be provided in one of several ways: showing a registration card that was stamped at the Primary, producing an early voting receipt, providing an official photo identification that can be checked against a roll of early voters, or signing an affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
(oath). Texas Democratic precinct conventions are governed by Robert's Rules of Order
Robert's Rules of Order
Robert's Rules of Order is the short title of a book containing rules of order intended to be adopted as a parliamentary authority for use by a deliberative assembly written by Brig. Gen...
and Texas Democratic Party Rules. Participants arriving late to the convention could still participate but could not affect any voting that had already taken place.
When the time came to select the Precinct Delegates, participants declared their candidate preference, or that they were uncommitted, which is an option not available on the primary ballot. The participants in each presidential candidate preference group then chose the delegates to represent them at the County and Senate District conventions.
A total of 8,247 precinct conventions were held throughout the 254 counties in Texas, most of which were held at each precinct's Primary polling place.
Concerns had been raised in the media about the logistics in place for the precinct conventions in light of the unprecedented massive participation. For example, in Harris County —of which Houston is the seat, and in which 874 conventions are scheduled— the highest primary turn-out in the past two decades was 78,000 in 2004, whereas 170,032 have already voted early in this year's Primary. Typically about 5,000 people attend the precinct conventions held throughout Harris County; up to 100,000 were expected to participate this year. In the event, there was an estimated turnout of one million throughout the state, and as of March 11 the final result of the caucuses in Harris County was unknown., as party volunteers were still collecting packets from that county's 874 precincts. The Dallas Morning News reported a projected turnout of 1.1 million. Overall, less than half of the precincts statewide had reported to the state Democratic party by mid-March.
County and Senatorial District conventions
County and Senatorial District Conventions were held on March 29. At each convention, Precinct Delegates chose the County Delegates (7,315 in total among all the conventions) to go to the State Convention. The Texas Democratic Party allocated one County Delegate to each convention for every 180 votes cast for Chris Bell in the 2006 Texas gubernatorial election.State Convention
The State Convention was held on June 6–7. At the Convention, the 7,315 County Delegates plus 351 state superdelegates chose 67 delegates to go to the Democratic National Convention: 42 At-large Delegates and 25 Pledged Party Leader and Elected Official (PLEO) delegates. These 67 delegates, along with the 126 district delegates, brought the total for pledged delegates to 193. The delegates at the State Convention also chose 3 "add-on" unpledged delegates to attend the Democratic National Convention.Polls
A poll of likely Democratic primary voters on March 2 showed Sen. Hillary Clinton with a statistically-insignificant 50% to 49% lead, with 1% Not Sure.Primary results
Primary date: March 4, 2008National pledged delegates determined: 126 (of 193)
| Key: | Withdrew prior to contest |
| Texas Democratic presidential primary, 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | National district delegates |
| Hillary Clinton | 1,462,734 | 50.87% | 65 |
| 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... |
1,362,476 | 47.39% | 61 |
| 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... |
29,936 | 1.04% | 0 |
| Bill Richardson | 10,773 | 0.37% | 0 |
| 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... |
5,327 | 0.19% | 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.... |
3,777 | 0.13% | 0 |
| Totals | 2,874,986 | 100.00% | 126 |
Precinct convention results
Convention date: March 4, 2008National pledged delegates determined: 0 (of 193)
| Texas Democratic presidential precinct conventions, 2008 41.10% of precincts reporting |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Precinct delegates | Percentage | Estimated national At-Large and PLEO delegates |
| 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... |
23,918 | 56.18% | 38 |
| Hillary Clinton | 18,620 | 43.73% | 29 |
| Other | 6 | 0.01% | 0 |
| Uncommitted | 38 | 0.09% | 0 |
| Undetermined | 45,492 | - | 0 |
| Totals | 88,074 | 100.00% | 67 |
Challenged results
On March 14, the Clinton campaign issued a letter to the Texas Democratic Party challenging the results of its precinct conventions. The letter proposed that the Party delay the County and Senatorial District conventions until it could provide the campaign with "presidential preference counts [that] can be made based on a review of each and every sign in sheet to determine eligibility of participants and delegates". Texas Democratic Chairman Boyd Richie issued a statement on March 17 rejecting the proposal, stating that the Texas Democratic Party "will not set up an unnecessary, ad hoc 'verification' process that could effectively disqualify delegates selected at their precinct conventions after the fact."County and Senatorial District convention results
Convention date: March 29, 2008National pledged delegates determined: 0 (of 193)
| Texas Democratic presidential County and Senatorial District conventions, 2008 89.79% of districts representing 96.60% of the delegates reporting |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | County delegates | Percentage | Estimated national At-Large and PLEO delegates |
| 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... |
4,039 | 54.71% | 37 |
| Hillary Clinton | 3317 | 44.93% | 30 |
| Uncommitted | 26 | 00.35% | 0 |
| Totals | 7,382 | 100.00% | 67 |
| Undetermined | 260 | (3.40%) | - |
State Convention results
Convention date: June 6–7, 2008National pledged delegates determined: 67 (of 193)
| Texas Democratic presidential state convention, 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | National At-Large and PLEO delegates |
| 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... |
? | 57.3% | 38 |
| Hillary Clinton | ? | 42.7% | 29 |
| Totals | 7,649 | 100% | 67 |
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...
- Texas Republican primary, 2008Texas Republican primary, 2008The 2008 Texas Republican primary took place on March 4, 2008. John McCain won the primary election, giving him enough delegate votes to guarantee his nomination at the 2008 Republican National Convention.-Process:...
External links
- Texas Secretary of State information about the Texas Presidential Primary
- Texas Democratic Party information about Texas Democratic caucus events
- http://www.txdemocrats.org/the_party/national_convention_delegates_alternates List of National Delegates, Alternates and Standing Committee members elected 6/7/08 at Texas State Dem. Convention
- Group of Texas Democrats Seeking to End the Texas Two Step