Maine Democratic Rep. Diane Russell is proposing to eliminate the use of superdelegates at the Democratic National Convention, according to
Politico.
Russell, a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders, submitted the amendment to the convention's rules and bylaws committee leaders. Now it needs a 20-percent support from the committee to get to a vote.
Sanders had said he wanted to drop the Democrats' superdelegate system. Superdelegates, who are not bound to vote a certain way, held back or erased gains in delegates that Sanders won, according to the Politico report.
Other Democrats have also supported the end of the superdelegate system, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and former Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that California Democrats issued a resolution calling for changes that included eliminating superdelegates.
"I'm willing to end my superdelegate powers. People should vote, and their vote should be counted, and the party shouldn't be perceived as overturning the will of the voters," California superdelegate Christine Pelosi said, according to the Chronicle.
Superdelegate reform recently passed in New Hampshire, according to
WMUR.com. And if approved, Russell's amendment would take effect in the Democratic presidential election in 2020.
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