Contact:  Joe Sheeran  

Delaware Democrats Choose Delegates for the 2008 National Convention

DOVER — A few hundred Democrats gathered Saturday to select Delaware’s delegation for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO, August 25^th-28^th.  Delaware will send 23 delegates and 4 alternates to the convention. 

“It’s terrific to see all of these people out here at the caucuses, energized and ready to put a Democrat back in the White House,” said Delaware Democratic Party Chairman John Daniello.  “Delegate selection is a perfect example of how our party works from the ground up, how everyday Democrats at the district level help decide who is best to represent the party on every level.”

Getting to Saturday’s statewide delegate selection caucus took a tremendous amount of outreach and organization.  It also generated great excitement within the Democratic Party.  More than 600 Democrats applied to be delegates in Delaware.  The party narrowed much of that list down through a series of Representative District caucuses.  At each RD caucus, delegate candidates talked about why they wanted to represent their district at the state caucus and national convention.  Through that discussion, the group chose its delegates to move onto the state caucus.

Delegate candidates wishing to attend the national convention engaged in a similar set of caucuses Saturday.  When the day was over, the Delaware Democratic Party selected 15 delegates and 4 alternates who have been pledged to the presidential candidates based on the results of Delaware’s February presidential primary.  The group also selected one unpledged add-on delegate.  These 16 delegates will join seven other unpledged delegates, previously selected by their status in the party.

Prior to selection, some of those unpledged delegates -- Party Chairman John Daniello, Governor Ruth Ann Minner, Senator Tom Carper and Sen. Joseph Biden -- addressed the crowd, rallying support for this year’s slate of Democratic candidates.

“Our Democratic candidates will work to strengthen public schools, create good paying jobs, make health care more affordable and expand access to clean sources of energy,” said Daniello. “We have to make sure when people cast their vote in November, they know Democratic candidates have the right vision to move these important issues forward.”

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