Joe Biden’s campaign is letting Bernie Sanders hold on to hundreds of delegates who would have represented him at the Democratic National Convention if he were still in the primary race for the sake of party unity.
Biden, Sanders, and the Democratic National Committee are asking state parties to fill statewide delegates based on how the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee and the Vermont senator performed in their respective primary contests.
Although the delegates will still technically be allocated to Biden as he looks to reach the 1,991 delegates he needs to become the Democratic Party’s next standard-bearer on the first ballot during the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from Aug. 17-20, the arrangement means those who backed Sanders will have a louder voice as the party debates rules and the policy platform it wants to take into November’s elections.
“While Senator Sanders is no longer actively seeking the nomination, the Biden campaign feels strongly that it is in the best interest of the party and the effort to defeat Donald Trump in November to come to an agreement regarding these issues that will ensure representation of Sanders supporters and delegate candidates, both on the floor and in committees,” Biden’s team wrote in a memo to state Democratic parties on Thursday.
They added, “We must defeat Donald Trump this fall, and we believe that this agreement will help bring the party together to get Trump out of the White House and not only rebuild America, but transform it.”
The framework also reflects the New York state election board decision this week to remove Sanders’s name from the June 23 primary ballot, preventing the senator, who suspended his White House bid this month, from accumulating more delegates. New York is being sued by vanquished hopeful Andrew Yang over the matter, and others have suggested the state be stripped of its delegates.
“The campaigns are aware of the New York Board of Elections decision not to hold a presidential preference primary, and if the state remains eligible for delegates, the campaigns are committed to working together to ensure representation for Senator Sanders in the New York delegation,” stated the memo, which was circulated on Thursday.
Sanders has 974 delegates, according to the Associated Press, a combination of delegates decided at both a district and statewide level. Thursday’s move means the senator will no longer lose about one-third of those delegates under party rules that dictate statewide delegates only be given to candidates running for the presidency at the time of their selection.
Biden has promised to earn the trust of Sanders supporters, who are wary of the Democratic establishment after his 2016 primary fight against eventual nominee Hillary Clinton, veering to the left on issues such as lowering age eligibility requirements for Medicare and free college.
“One year ago, we launched this campaign. Whether you were on #TeamJoe from day one or have joined in recent weeks — I’m incredibly grateful for your support and hope I make you proud. Together, we’re going to beat Donald Trump, unite this country, and transform our nation,” Biden tweeted last weekend.
One year ago, we launched this campaign. Whether you were on #TeamJoe from day one or have joined in recent weeks — I’m incredibly grateful for your support and hope I make you proud. Together, we’re going to beat Donald Trump, unite this country, and transform our nation.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2020
