What is a superdelegate?
Superdelegates are Democratic Party leaders and elected officials who are automatic delegates to the national convention and were historically free to vote for any candidate. Rule changes now restrict them to later ballots.
Superdelegates are a class of automatic delegates to the Democratic National Convention. They include Democratic governors, U.S. senators and representatives, DNC members, and former presidents, vice presidents, and party leaders. They are not elected through primary contests; they attend the convention by virtue of their party office.
Historically, superdelegates could vote for any candidate on any ballot, giving the party establishment significant influence over contested nominations. The 2016 primary, where most superdelegates quickly backed Hillary Clinton, generated substantial controversy about whether they were undermining the will of primary voters.
In 2018, the Democratic Party adopted new rules limiting superdelegates. Under the revised rules, superdelegates may only vote on the second ballot if no candidate wins a majority of pledged delegates on the first ballot. Their influence is therefore confined to contested conventions.
The Republican Party has a smaller class of automatic delegates (party chairs, national committeemen, and committeewomen from each state) but does not use the 'superdelegate' terminology. Rules for 2028 have not yet been finalized by either party.
Related: Pledged delegate definition
Related questions
How many superdelegates are there?
Do Republicans have superdelegates?
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Related explainers
A delegate is a person authorized to represent their state at the national party convention and cast a vote toward selecting the presidential nominee. Primary voters are choosing these delegates, not the nominee directly.
A brokered convention occurs when no candidate enters the national convention with enough delegates to win on the first ballot, leading to multiple rounds of voting and intense behind-the-scenes negotiation.
Primary voters choose delegates who will represent them at the party's national convention. The candidate who wins enough delegates - typically a majority - becomes the party's nominee.
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