LANSING, Mich.—A top supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton has filed a challenge with the Democratic National Committee seeking to get Michigan’s delegates seated at the national convention.
Under DNC member Joel Ferguson’s proposal, Michigan would send the 28 unpledged superdelegates and 128 pledged delegates to Denver that it was allocated before the DNC stripped Michigan and Florida of their delegates for holding early primaries.
Ferguson said it would be fair punishment to give each pledged delegate only half a vote for breaking DNC rules. But he said superdelegates—of which he is one—should get a a full vote.
He wants to award the delegates to candidates based on the results of the Jan. 15 primary, which Clinton won. But the campaign of Clinton rival Barack Obama said again Wednesday that the Michigan and Florida delegates should be split evenly between the two candidates, even though Clinton won both states. Obama leads nationally in pledged delegates.
DNC spokesman Damien LaVera said the challenge is being reviewed.
“Under the process, staff has two weeks to make their recommendation to the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee’s co-chairs,” he said.
Ferguson says in his petition that the Rules and Bylaws Committee’s decision to strip Michigan and Florida of all their delegates is wrong and urges that it be reversed.
He said Wednesday it doesn’t make sense to strip Michigan and Florida of their delegates, especially given the fact that Obama or Clinton will have to carry at least one of the states to capture the White House in November.
“If we’re going to win Michigan … then Michigan people should be part of picking the winner,” said Ferguson, a Lansing developer and Michigan State University trustee who co-chairs Clinton’s Michigan campaign. “This is putting Michigan first.”
He argues in his challenge that not seating the delegates is “weakening the Democratic Party in Michigan and harming its ability to cast its electoral votes for the Democratic nominee for president.”
Michigan Democrats last Saturday chose their first round of national convention delegates, picking 47 Clinton delegates and 13 Clinton alternates. Thirty-six delegate spots and two alternate spots went to uncommitted delegates or to those backing Obama.
The Illinois senator and several other candidates took their names off the ballot to avoid angering other early voting states, so most of his supporters could vote only for Uncommitted in January.
The remainder of the state’s delegation is scheduled to be picked when the Democratic State Central Committee meets in May.
Both Michigan and Florida are working with national and state party leaders and the Clinton and Obama campaigns to get their delegates seated at the Aug. 25-28 Democratic National Convention. So far, no agreements have been reached.
The Republican National Committee stripped Michigan and Florida of half their national convention delegates for holding early primaries. Michigan Republicans have filled all of their delegates slots, however, and state party chairman Saul Anuzis expects all the delegates to be seated.
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EDITOR’s NOTE: Kathy Barks Hoffman heads the Lansing AP bureau and has covered Michigan politics since 1986.
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