LETTER: Democratic delegate process listens to voters

I want to join Jesse O’Hara (see letter in May 13 Inter Lake) in emphasizing the importance of transparency and public confidence in the processes our political parties use to select presidential candidates.

O’Hara gave a very interesting account of what happens in the Montana Republican Party, so I thought this would be a good time to describe how this process will work for Democrats.

While the Republicans meet in May to select their delegates, before primary voters have even spoken on June 7, Flathead Democrats will meet on June 9, two days after the primary. All Democrats in the county are welcome — and encouraged — to participate, as long as they are registered voters and express their affiliation with the Democratic Party.

At this county convention, Hillary and Bernie supporters will caucus separately to choose a total of 14 pledged delegates to send to the State Democratic Convention in Helena the following Saturday, June 11. The number of delegates chosen for each candidate at our county level will be in proportion to the results of the Democratic primary in Flathead County, and thus are bound to Flathead Democratic voters’ wishes as expressed in the primary.

At the State Democratic Convention in Helena, Hillary delegates and Bernie delegates sent by counties across the state will again caucus to select 15 pledged delegates, this time in proportion to the voters’ wishes in the primary. These 15 delegates will attend the national convention in Philadelphia in July, along with a mix of eight pledged and unpledged “superdelegates,” and four at-large delegates chosen on the convention floor. The total of Montana Democratic delegates going to Philadelphia is 27. People in either party may of course have an honest disagreement when it comes to superdelegates — a good subject for someone else’s letter.

I am writing because I think it’s important for folks to know that the Democratic Party in Montana has a process that ripples upward from the voters themselves, not one that imposes a result regardless of voters’ wishes. It’s a “We the People” process.

I encourage any Democrat in the county to join us at our county convention on the evening of June 9 (place and time to be announced soon). And of course, I hope every voter will express their preference at the polls in the June 7 primary. Our votes really do make a difference!

—Lynn Stanley, chairperson of Flathead County Democratic Party and candidate for House District 7, Kalispell