Spotlight on state Democratic delegates following Biden move

Jonathan Ambarian

HELENA (KPAX) — After President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign, the official vote to award the Democratic presidential nomination now depends on thousands of delegates from across the country — including a few dozen from Montana.

Montana is set to send about 25 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month. They’re among the nearly 4,000 delegates set to vote for the party’s nominee for president — potentially in a “virtual roll call” several weeks ahead of the convention.

The Montana Democratic Party chose its delegates in June, at their state convention in Havre.

Biden was the only Democratic presidential candidate to appear on the primary ballot in Montana. In the June election, he won 91% of the Democratic vote, to 9% cast for “no preference.”

The overwhelming majority of delegates — nationwide and in Montana — were pledged to Biden. After he dropped out of the race, they were released from that pledge, even as Biden encouraged them to unite behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

Several state delegations announced Monday that they had already backed Harris, and national media reports said the vice president had received support from about half the number of delegates she would need to secure the nomination.

On Sunday, the Montana Democratic Party released a statement thanking Biden for his years of public service and promising to work hard for candidates “up and down the ballot.”

However, the party hasn’t yet said what their delegates will do. A party spokesperson told MTN Monday that they’re waiting to take any action until they receive more guidance from the Democratic National Committee about the convention process.