Washington Democratic caucuses, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Washington Democratic caucuses were a series of events held by the Washington State Democratic Party
to determine the delegates that the Party sent to the 2008 Democratic National Convention
. Delegates were selected in a four-tier process that began with precinct caucuses, was further refined in legislative district caucuses and/or county conventions, concluded for some delegates in the congressional district caucuses, and finally concluded for the remaining delegates at the state convention.
Washington also held a Democratic primary on February 19, 2008, but the Washington State Democratic Party did not use the results of the primary to determine its delegates.
The 78 pledged delegates were further divided into 51 district delegates and 27 state-wide delegates. The 51 district delegates were divided among Washington's 9 Congressional Districts and were allocated to the presidential candidates based on the caucus results in each District. The 27 state-wide delegates were divided into 17 at-large delegates and 10 Party Leaders and Elected Officials (abbreviated PLEOs). They were allocated to the presidential candidates at the State Convention based on the preference of the 51 district delegates on June 13–15.
Of the 19 unpledged delegates, 17 were selected in advance and 2 were selected at the State Convention. The delegates selected in advance were 7 Democratic National Committee members, the 2 Democratic U.S. Senators from Washington, Maria Cantwell
and Patty Murray
, the 6 Democratic U.S. Representatives from Washington, and the Democratic Governor of Washington, Christine Gregoire
.
and Maria Cantwell
, endorsed Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
earlier in the nomination season. The week before the caucuses, Senator Barack Obama
was endorsed by Washington Governor Christine Gregoire
.
The caucuses were open to all voters who would be 18 years old by November 4, 2008. To vote, participants completed a form with their contact information and candidate preference. The form also asked voters to sign an oath stating: "I declare that I consider myself to be a DEMOCRAT and I will not participate in the nomination process of any other political party for the 2008 Presidential election." In some caucus groups, members split into smaller groups according to the candidate they supported. Voters supporting non-viable candidates had the option of moving into viable groups, and voters in viable groups could change their preference. Unlike other state Democratic Party caucuses, Washington does not require a 15% threshold for allocation of delegates at the precinct level. Rules state that any fractional delegates remaining are awarded to the candidate with the most votes that do not have delegates.
The second tier of the delegate selection process involved choosing 2,000 Legislative District delegates (and 1,000 alternates) to send to the Congressional District conventions on May 17 and the State Convention on June 13–15. There are 49 Legislative Districts in Washington State. Each district was allocated a certain number of delegates. Delegates were elected at either Legislative District caucuses or County conventions. Each of Washington's 39 counties has a local Democratic Party organization that determined the event at which delegate selection would take place. Most counties chose to select delegates at Legislative District caucuses on April 5. The remaining counties selected delegates at sub-caucuses during their County Conventions, most of which were held on either April 12 or April 19. The breakdown of events by date is listed below.
County Convention:
National pledged delegates determined: 0 (of 78)
Primary date: February 19, 2008
National pledged delegates determined: 0 (of 78)
Caucus/Convention dates: April 5–26, 2008
National pledged delegates determined: 0 (of 78)
National pledged delegates determined: 51 (of 78)
National pledged delegates determined: 27 (of 78)
Washington State Democratic Party
The Washington State Democratic Party is the local Democratic Party branch in the State of Washington, headquartered in the Broderick Building in Downtown Seattle. It is also commonly referred to as the Washington State Democrats and the Washington Democratic Party.-Washington State Democratic...
to determine the delegates that the Party 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 in a four-tier process that began with precinct caucuses, was further refined in legislative district caucuses and/or county conventions, concluded for some delegates in the congressional district caucuses, and finally concluded for the remaining delegates at the state convention.
Washington also held a Democratic primary on February 19, 2008, but the Washington State Democratic Party did not use the results of the primary to determine its delegates.
Delegate breakdown
The Washington State Democratic Party sent a total of 97 delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Of those delegates, 78 were pledged and 19 were unpledged. The 78 pledged delegates were allocated (pledged) to vote for a particular candidate at the National Convention according to the results of Washington's four-step caucus process. The 19 unpledged delegates were popularly called "superdelegates" because their vote represented their personal decisions, whereas the regular delegates' votes represented the collective decision of many voters. The superdelegates were free to vote for any candidate at the National Convention and were selected by the Washington State Democratic Party's officials and the pledged delegates.The 78 pledged delegates were further divided into 51 district delegates and 27 state-wide delegates. The 51 district delegates were divided among Washington's 9 Congressional Districts and were allocated to the presidential candidates based on the caucus results in each District. The 27 state-wide delegates were divided into 17 at-large delegates and 10 Party Leaders and Elected Officials (abbreviated PLEOs). They were allocated to the presidential candidates at the State Convention based on the preference of the 51 district delegates on June 13–15.
Of the 19 unpledged delegates, 17 were selected in advance and 2 were selected at the State Convention. The delegates selected in advance were 7 Democratic National Committee members, the 2 Democratic U.S. Senators from Washington, Maria Cantwell
Maria Cantwell
Maria E. Cantwell is the junior United States Senator from the state of Washington and a member of the Democratic Party....
and Patty Murray
Patty Murray
Patricia Lynn "Patty" Murray is the senior United States Senator from Washington and a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992, becoming Washington's first female senator...
, the 6 Democratic U.S. Representatives from Washington, and the Democratic Governor of Washington, Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire
Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the 22nd and current Governor of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington...
.
Precinct caucuses
The precinct caucuses took place on February 9, 2008. Washington's two U.S. Senators, Patty MurrayPatty Murray
Patricia Lynn "Patty" Murray is the senior United States Senator from Washington and a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992, becoming Washington's first female senator...
and Maria Cantwell
Maria Cantwell
Maria E. Cantwell is the junior United States Senator from the state of Washington and a member of the Democratic Party....
, endorsed Senator 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...
earlier in the nomination season. The week before the caucuses, 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...
was endorsed by Washington Governor Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire
Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the 22nd and current Governor of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington...
.
The caucuses were open to all voters who would be 18 years old by November 4, 2008. To vote, participants completed a form with their contact information and candidate preference. The form also asked voters to sign an oath stating: "I declare that I consider myself to be a DEMOCRAT and I will not participate in the nomination process of any other political party for the 2008 Presidential election." In some caucus groups, members split into smaller groups according to the candidate they supported. Voters supporting non-viable candidates had the option of moving into viable groups, and voters in viable groups could change their preference. Unlike other state Democratic Party caucuses, Washington does not require a 15% threshold for allocation of delegates at the precinct level. Rules state that any fractional delegates remaining are awarded to the candidate with the most votes that do not have delegates.
Legislative District caucuses and County conventions
April 5
Legislative District caucuses:- 1st through 6th
- 8th
- 11th
- 12th
- 16th (Benton County portion only, held at the 8th LD caucus)
- 21st
- 25th through 34th
- 36th through 39th
- 40th (San Juan County portion only)
- 41st through 48th
County Convention:
- Whatcom (40th LD)
April 12
County Conventions:- Clallam (24th LD)
- Franklin (9th & 16th LDs)
- Grays Harbor (19th, 24th & 35th LDs)
- Kitsap (23rd & 35th LDs)
- Kittitas (13th LD)
- Pend Oreille (7th LD)
- Skagit (10th & 40th LDs)
April 19
County Conventions:- Asotin (9th LD)
- Chelan (13th LD)
- Clark (15th, 17th, 18th & 49th LDs)
- Cowlitz (18th & 19th LDs)
- Ferry (7th LD)
- Grant (13th LD)
- Island (10th LD)
- Klickitat (15th LD)
- Lewis (20th LD)
- Lincoln (7th LD)
- Mason (35th LD)
- Okanogan (7th LD)
- Pacific (19th LD)
- Skamania (15th LD)
- Spokane (7th & 9th LDs)
- Stevens (7th LD)
- Thurston (20th, 22nd & 35th LDs)
- Wahkiakum (19th LD)
- Whitman (9th LD)
- Yakima (13th, 14th & 15th LDs)
Congressional district caucuses
Fifty-one delegates were chosen at the nine congressional district caucuses. Each district was allotted a different number of delegates:- CD 1: 6
- CD 2: 6
- CD 3: 5
- CD 4: 3
- CD 5: 5
- CD 6: 6
- CD 7: 9
- CD 8: 6
- CD 9: 5
State convention
Twenty-nine delegates were chosen at the state convention, twenty-seven of which were pledged to vote for a particular candidate. Seventeen of these pledged delegates were "at-large" delegates that did not represent a specific Washington congressional district, and ten were party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs).Polls
Precinct caucuses
Caucus date: February 9, 2008National pledged delegates determined: 0 (of 78)
| Washington Democratic presidential precinct caucuses, 2008 96.4% of precincts reporting |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Precinct delegates | Percentage | Estimated national 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... |
21,768 | 67.56% | 52 |
| Hillary 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... |
10,038 | 31.15% | 26 |
| Other | 50 | 0.16% | 0 |
| Uncommitted | 364 | 1.13% | 0 |
| Totals | 32,220 | 100.00% | 78 |
Primary
The Washington State Democratic Party did not use the results of the primary to determine its delegates.Primary date: February 19, 2008
National pledged delegates determined: 0 (of 78)
| Key: | Withdrew prior to contest |
| Washington Democratic presidential primary, 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |
| 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... |
354,112 | 51.22% | |
| Hillary 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... |
315,744 | 45.67% | |
| 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... |
11,892 | 1.72% | |
| 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.... |
4,021 | 0.58% | |
| Bill Richardson | 2,040 | 0.30% | |
| 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... |
1,883 | 0.27% | |
| 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.... |
1,071 | 0.15% | |
| 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.... |
618 | 0.09% | |
| Totals | 691,381 | 100.00% | |
Legislative district caucuses and county conventions
Dashes indicate districts for which results are unavailable.Caucus/Convention dates: April 5–26, 2008
National pledged delegates determined: 0 (of 78)
| Washington Democratic Legislative District Caucuses and County Conventions, 2008 61% of districts reporting |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative District |
Barack Obama |
Hillary Clinton |
Total State Delegates from this LD |
| LD1 | 32 | 12 | 44 |
| LD2 | 26 | 14 | 40 |
| LD3 | – | – | 33 |
| LD4 | – | – | 38 |
| LD5 | 36 | 12 | 48 |
| LD6 | 29 | 15 | 44 |
| LD7 | – | – | 34 |
| LD8 | – | – | 33 |
| LD9 | – | – | 33 |
| LD10 | – | – | 43 |
| LD11 | 26 | 10 | 36 |
| LD12 | – | – | 31 |
| LD13 | – | – | 28 |
| LD14 | – | – | 27 |
| LD15 | – | – | 26 |
| LD16 | – | – | 28 |
| LD17 | – | – | 39 |
| LD18 | – | – | 44 |
| LD19 | – | – | 38 |
| LD20 | 25 | 13 | 38 |
| LD21 | – | – | 40 |
| LD22 | 36 | 13 | 49 |
| LD23 | 34 | 11 | 45 |
| LD24 | 28 | 10 | 47 |
| LD25 | 26 | 15 | 41 |
| LD26 | 28 | 14 | 42 |
| LD27 | 27 | 12 | 39 |
| LD28 | – | – | 34 |
| LD29 | – | – | 30 |
| LD30 | – | – | 35 |
| LD31 | 22 | 16 | 38 |
| LD32 | 36 | 14 | 50 |
| LD33 | 23 | 12 | 35 |
| LD34 | 38 | 13 | 51 |
| LD35 | 15 | 8 | 41 |
| LD36 | 52 | 15 | 67 |
| LD37 | 38 | 9 | 47 |
| LD38 | 23 | 11 | 34 |
| LD39 | 27 | 12 | 39 |
| LD40 | 36 | 9 | 47 |
| LD41 | 36 | 13 | 49 |
| LD42 | 33 | 10 | 43 |
| LD43 | 53 | 14 | 67 |
| LD44 | 30 | 13 | 43 |
| LD45 | 33 | 12 | 45 |
| LD46 | 45 | 15 | 60 |
| LD47 | 27 | 11 | 38 |
| LD48 | 30 | 11 | 41 |
| LD49 | – | – | 38 |
| Totals | 950 | 369 | 2,000 |
| Estimated national delegates |
0 | 0 | 78 |
Congressional district caucuses
Caucus date: May 17, 2008National pledged delegates determined: 51 (of 78)
| Washington Democratic Congressional District Caucuses, 2008 0% of districts reporting |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congressional District | National Delegates Obama | National Delegates Clinton | National Delegates Total | ||
| CD1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||
| CD2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||
| CD3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||
| CD4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| CD5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||
| CD6 | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||
| CD7 | 7 | 2 | 9 | ||
| CD8 | 4 | 2 | 6 | ||
| CD9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||
| Totals | 34 | 17 | 51 | ||
State convention
Convention date: June 13–15, 2008National pledged delegates determined: 27 (of 78)
| Washington Democratic State Convention, 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | At-Large and PLEO delegates | Percentage | National 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... |
18 | 66.67% | 52 |
| Hillary Clinton | 9 | 33.33% | 26 |
| Totals | 27 | 100.00% | 78 |
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...
- Washington Republican caucuses, 2008Washington Republican caucuses, 2008The 2008 Washington Republican Caucuses were held on Saturday February 9, 2008. Voting in Washington's caucuses closed at 9:00 p.m. EST.The Washington Republican Party declared John McCain the winner on the night of the election, after 87% of the votes were counted. Mike Huckabee disputed the...