Press Releases

Grassroots Activism Pushes Forward Superdelegates Reforms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2016
Contact: [email protected], 202.681.7582

This evening – thanks in large part to pressure exerted by the grassroots – the Sanders and Clinton campaigns came to agreement in support of an amendment guaranteeing recommendations to the DNC to reduce the number of unpledged superdelegates in future nominating contests by approximately two-thirds.

More than 750,000 people have spoken out against superdelegates this cycle, including more than 150,000 this week alone at EndSuperDelegates.com.

David Segal, Executive Director of Demand Progress, which organized EndSuperDelegates.com said, “This is a partial victory — and we got this far only because of massive grassroots outcry about the superdelegates system. Demand Progress will keep up the pressure to make sure the recommendations are adopted by the DNC — and to fight for fair representation and against the influence of money in all realms of American politics. We thank the hundreds of thousands of people who demanded reform, and the dozens of Rules Committee members who heard them and supported these efforts.”

Aaron Regunberg – Rhode Island State Representative, Rules Committee member, and sponsor of an amendment to do away with superdelegates said, “I am very proud that together we won this significant step towards ensuring our party’s nominating process reflects our core values. Our passionate, grassroots advocacy pulled this outcome much further towards the goal of one person, one vote than it otherwise could have been. We haven’t completely eliminated superdelegates, so this fight is not over. But a guaranteed recommendation of two-thirds fewer superdelegates is a major step, and one that I’m excited to continue building on in future years.”

“Today the rules committee agreed on a compromise proposal by the Sanders and Clinton campaigns that will mandate the reduction of super-delegates by 2/3,” said Kenneth Zinn, Political Director of National Nurses United and members of the Rules Committee. “This was made possible only by Bernie Sanders’ historic campaign for president, the over 12 million people who voted for him, the thousand of activists who organized in their communities, and the leadership of Sanders appointees to the rules committee who pushed for the eradication of super-delegates altogether. Although we did not win the total eradication of super-delegates in the Democratic Party process during this convention, we are determined to redouble our efforts to build the mass movement necessary to eliminate this rigged system of influence and control by the elites of the Democratic Party. We won’t relent until that happens.”

“End Superdelegates” is an effort representing a cross-section of Democrats who urge the Democratic National Committee to end superdelegates. Participating organizations include: Courage Campaign, Credo, Daily Kos, Demand Progress, Democracy for America, Center for Popular, Democracy, MoveOn.org Political Action, National Nurses United, New Democrat Network, The Other 98%, Presente, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Progressive Democrats of America, Progressive Kick, Reform the DNC, and Social Security Works.

Demand Progress is a national grassroots group with two million affiliated activists who fight for basic rights and freedoms needed for a modern democracy.

National Nurses United is the largest organization of registered nurses in the United States.