DNC Chairman Tim Kaine’s Statement On Efforts To Improve the 2012 Presidential Nominating Process
Washington, DC –Over the past two days, the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee has worked to make significant progress towards finalizing the Party’s 2012 delegate selection rules. As part of its efforts, the RBC has voted to recommend to DNC members a plan that would increase by approximately 700 the number of pledged delegates elected from the states, the District of Columbia and territories. In doing so, the plan would increase the proportional influence of pledged delegates at the 2012 Democratic National Convention from approximately 80 percent in 2008 to approximately 85 percent in 2012. The rules included in the proposed plan would also provide for unpledged delegates declaring their Presidential preferences no later than a date certain – which will be shortly after the conclusion of the presidential nominating process in their respective states, territories and in the District of Columbia.
With regard to the timing of primaries and caucuses, the RBC has proposed a rule that would set the dates of the primaries and caucuses for the four states permitted to hold contests within the pre-window—Iowa on February 6, New Hampshire on February 14, Nevada on February 18, and South Carolina on February 28. The pre-window starts in February 2012, approximately one month later than in 2008.
Following the meeting, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine released the following statement:
“I applaud the significant improvements to the presidential nominating process recommended this weekend by the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, which builds on the work of our Democratic Change Commission. These new provisions represent an important step towards increasing grassroots activists’ involvement in our presidential nominating process. They guarantee that Democratic primary voters and caucus participants will have a larger voice in the nomination of our Party’s presidential candidate, while at the same time respecting the important role that party leaders play in our nominating and political processes. Perhaps most importantly, the new rules open up the nominating process to even greater participation. I want to thank the RBC and the Democratic Change Commission for working so diligently on these important issues and focusing on ways to strengthen our Party and the presidential nominating process.”
The RBC’s recommended delegate selection rules will be voted on by the full DNC membership at the DNC’s August meeting in St. Louis.
