Super-Delegates

Question: What is a super-delegate?

Answer: Super-delegates are members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate, state and territorial governors, members of the Democratic National Committee, distinguished party leaders, and add-on delegates selected by the state parties. They represent approximately 20 percent of the total 4,048 delegates.

Question: What is the number of delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination?

Answer: The number of delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination is 2,025

Question: Do Republicans have super-delegates?

Answer: No. The Republican Party's does not give elected officials and party leaders an automatic vote in the presidential primary process; however, politicians and party leaders can be elected to be delegates (pledged or otherwise).

Question: How many super-delegates are there?

Answer: During an election year, there is no set number of superdelegates. The number of super-delegates can change due to death, elections, disqualifications, leaving office, leaving the democratic party, and other unforeseen circumstances.

Question: Who makes up the super-delegates?

Answer: Super-delegates are made up of Democratic governors and members of Congress, former presidents, former vice presidents, retired congressional leaders and all Democratic National Committee members.

Question: What is a brokered convention?

Answer: If no candidate receives a clear majority of delegates, the party may head into the convention without a nominee. This is known as a brokered convention.

Question: How often are conventions brokered and when was the last time it happened?

Answer: Conventions are not brokered very often. The last brokered Democratic convention was in 1952.

Question: When can the super-delegate endorse a candidate?

Answer: The super-delegates may publicly endorse a candidate at any time.

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