Howard Dean
| Howard Dean | |
 | |
| Democratic National Convention, 2016 | |
| Status: | Superdelegate |
| State: | Vermont |
| Supporting: | Hillary Clinton |
| Delegates to the DNC 2016 | |
| Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • State election law and delegates • Superdelegates by state | |
Howard Dean was a superdelegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention from Vermont.[1] Dean was one of 10 superdelegates from Vermont. Superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention were not bound by the results of their state’s primary or caucus to support a specific presidential candidate. Dean supported Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.[2]Clinton formally won the Democratic nomination for president on July 26, 2016.[3]
Dean served as the Democratic Governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003. He campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, but lost to Secretary of State and former U.S. Senator John Kerry. Dean later served as the chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009.[4]
Career
Dean earned a B.A. in political science from Yale University in 1971 and an M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1978. He practiced internal medicine in Shelburne, Vermont, before pursuing a full-time career in politics in 1991.[4][5]
Dean won election to the Vermont House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1983. He served in the House through 1986, when he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Vermont. Dean served as Lieutenant Governor of Vermont from 1986 to 1991 and as Governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003. During his gubernatorial tenure, Dean supported fiscally conservative policies that paid down the state's $70 million deficit. He also instituted policies to further "equality and opportunity" across Vermont, including a program to provide health insurance for Vermont children and the legalization of same-sex civil unions.[4][6][7]
Dean campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, but lost to Secretary of State and former U.S. Senator John Kerry. The following year, Dean was elected chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and served through 2009. As chair of the DNC, Dean directed an overhaul of the organization's technological resources and strategic infrastructure that helped contribute to Democratic gains in 2006 and 2008, including the election of Democratic President Barack Obama.[4][5]
Dean founded Democracy for America, a progressive political action committee, in 2005. He serves as an independent consultant to Democracy for America and to the government affairs division at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP. Dean is also a senior advisor for public policy and regulation at Dentons, a global law firm, and a contributor to MSNBC.[4][5][8][9]
Noteworthy events
Dean experienced criticism from several Vermont residents and Bernie Sanders supporters for his backing of 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. As a Vermont superdelegate to the Democratic National Committee, Dean endorsed Clinton despite Sanders' victory in the Vermont Democratic primary. Dean responded to the criticism via Twitter, stating, "Super delegates don't 'represent people' I'm not elected by anyone. I'll do what I think is right for the country."[10]
@D_Born @BernieSanders Super delegates don't "represent people" I'm not elected by anyone. I'll do what I think is right for the country
— Howard Dean (@GovHowardDean) March 5, 2016
What is a superdelegate?
Superdelegates in 2016 were automatic delegates to the Democratic National Convention, meaning that, unlike regular delegates, they were not elected to this position. Also unlike regular delegates, they were not required to pledge their support to any presidential candidate, and they were not bound by the results of their state's presidential primary election or caucus. In 2016, superdelegates included members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors, and distinguished party leaders, including former presidents and vice presidents. All superdelegates were free to support any presidential candidate of their choosing at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.[11]
Vermont primary results
- See also: Presidential election in Vermont, 2016
Bernie Sanders won Vermont's 2016 Democratic presidential primary.[12] Polls conducted in February 2016 showed that Sanders had overwhelming support in his home state and it was no surprise that he swept the state’s Democratic presidential primary on Super Tuesday. In a poll conducted by Public Policy Polling February 14-16, 2016, 86 percent of participants supported Sanders, the state’s junior senator. Hillary Clinton polled at 10 percent. A Castleton University poll conducted February 3-17, 2016, showed Sanders with 83 percent support and Clinton with 9 percent.[13]
| Vermont Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Delegates | |
 Bernie Sanders |
85.7% | 115,900 | 16 | |
| Hillary Clinton | 13.6% | 18,338 | 0 | |
| Martin O'Malley | 0.2% | 282 | 0 | |
| Roque De La Fuente | 0.1% | 80 | 0 | |
| Other | 0.2% | 238 | 0 | |
| Spoiled votes | 0.1% | 158 | 0 | |
| Blank votes | 0.2% | 260 | ||
| Totals | 135,256 | 16 | ||
| Source: Vermont Secretary of State and CNN | ||||
Delegate allocation
Vermont had 26 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 16 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide primary results.[14][15]
10 party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.[14][16]
See also
- Democratic National Convention, 2016
- 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules
- Presidential election, 2016
- Presidential candidates, 2016
- Presidential election in Vermont, 2016
- Democracy for America
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia's list of superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention is based on our own research and lists provided by the Democratic National Committee to Vox.com in February 2016 and May 2016. If you think we made an error in identifying superdelegates, please send an email to [email protected].
- ↑ Burlington Free Press, "3 VT superdelegates pledge for Bernie Sanders," March 8, 2016
- ↑ To find out which candidate a superdelegate supported, Ballotpedia sought out public statements from the superdelegate in other media outlets and on social media. If we were unable to find a public statement that clearly articulated which candidate the superdelegate supported at the national convention, we listed that superdelegate as "unknown." If you believe we made an error in identifying which candidate a superdelegate supported, please email us at [email protected].
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 CNBC, "Howard Dean," accessed July 27, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 National Democratic Institute, "Howard Dean," accessed July 27, 2016
- ↑ Biography.com, "Howard Dean," accessed July 27, 2016
- ↑ The Boston Globe, "Dean shines spotlight on health care in 2004 bid," February 10, 2003
- ↑ Democracy for America, "About Democracy for America," October 8, 2014
- ↑ Dentons, "Howard B. Dean," accessed July 27, 2016
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Superdelegate and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean does not make a great case for superdelegates," March 5, 2016
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions," December 30, 2015
- ↑ The New York Times, "Vermont Primary Results," March 1, 2016
- ↑ RealClear Politics, “Vermont Democratic Presidential Primary,” March 1, 2016
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
- ↑ The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
- ↑ Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016
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