Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2016

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Current revision as of 15:53, 23 December 2007

The 2016 Democratic primaries were the selection process by which the Democrats chose their candidates in the 2016 election for President and Vice President of the United States. Through a series of primaries and caucuses culminating in the Democratic National Convention, the party picked Appalachia Governor Whitney Mason from North Carolina, who selected Senator Andrew Brockmeier from Michigan as his running mate.

Timeline

The race begins

In late 2013, Speaker of the House of Representatives Emmett Honeycutt formed an exploratory committee [1]. He was the first to do so out of either party, doing so 3 years before the election and 2 years before the Iowa Caucus. He was followed in 2014 by Governor Whitney Mason [2] and Tom Poitier [3]. Mason and Honeycutt were at this stage competing with each other for front runner status, with Mason garnering support from moderate Democrats and Honeycutt from liberal Democrats.

Honeycutt drops out

Honeycutt withdrew from the race at the start of 2015 [4]. That same year saw the entry of 3 more candidates: Governor Lilliam Vanleer [5], Senator Justin Casanova-Davis and Congressman Bryant Carter. Vanleer replaced Honeycutt as the leading liberal Democrat vying for the nomination, with Poiter, Casanova-Davis and Carter seen as second tier candidates.

Two horse race

Vanleer, Poitier and Carter withdrew from the race prior to the Iowa Caucus, making the primary a 2 way race between Mason and Casanova-Davis. Casanova-Davis was also considered a moderate, making the race one between 2 moderate democrats, to the annoyance of liberal Democrats [6]. Mason led in the polls nationally (38% to 20%) and had a slight fund raising advantage ($88,730,900 to $81,138,000) [7]. However, Casanova-Davis had exceeded the expectations of many observers and would remain a threat to the front runner unless Mason dealt a knockout blow to the Casanova-Davis campaign in the early primaries.

Iowa

Polls had Mason leading 46% to 32% in the Iowa Caucus, with Davis leading in the subsequent New Hampshire Primary 45% to 27% [8]. Anything short of a decisive victory in Iowa would spell disaster for the Mason camp, who still led in polls nationally. Despite having withdrawn, Poitier maintained the support of a significant minority of Democrats dissatisfied with the lack of a liberal candidate to choose from.

The caucus results were a tactical win for Mason, who got 45% of the vote to Davis' 40% [9]. The ability of Davis to deny Mason that decisive victory made him the real winner of the day and allowed him to move into New Hampshire with the momentum he needed to overcome the lead that Mason had now created following a campaigning blitz in the New England state.

New Hampshire

The Casanova-Davis camp achieved its first big victory in New Hampshire, where it won the state's primary with 43% of the vote. Mason received 33% [10].

South Carolina

Both candidates received 43% of the vote, with Mason receiving a slightly higher percentage [11].

Mega Tuesday

This was do or die for Casanova-Davis. He needed a strong showing on Mega Tuesday in order to stay in the race. It was also Mason's last chance to land that knockout punch that he would need to eliminate the risk of the race continuing on till the end of the primary season.

Mason won Mega Tuesday convincingly, winning 14 out of 22 states and taking 3/4 of the delegates from Mega Tuesday states [12]. Casanova-Davis, his campaign now out of steam, subsequently announced his withdrawal from the race for the White House and his retirement from politics, resigning his seat in the Senate.

This left Mason as the sole remaining candidate for the nomination and the de facto Democratic nominee for President.

Candidates

• Filed:
  • Appalachia Governor Whitney Mason of North Carolina

• Withdrew:
  • Senator Justin Casanova-Davis of Florida
  • Congressman Bryant Carter of Illinois
  • Speaker of the House Emmett Honeycutt of Pennsylvania
  • Commissioner Tom Potier of Louisiana
  • West Coast Governor Lilliam Vanleer of Washington

• Declined:
  • Senator Andrew Brockmeier of Michigan
  • Former Senator Michael Casmir of Illinois, 2012 Democratic nominee for President
  • Senate Majority Leader Calum Daniels of North Carolina
  • Former Sunbelt Governor Rick Hernandez of Texas, 2012 Democratic nominee for Vice President
  • Senator Kathryn Spencer of Pennsylvania
  • Northeast Governor James Stewart of Connecticut
  • Heartland Governor Elizabeth Wellbourne of Michigan, candidate for the Democratic nomination in 2012

Vice Presidential Candidates

Senator Andrew Brockmeier was designated the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate by presumptive Democratic nominee Whitney Mason. This was the first time since the 2000 election that a Democratic presidential nominee picked someone to be their running mate who had not also been a contender for the nomination. All three former running mates, Rick Hernandez, Barack Obama and John Edwards, had all been candidates in the Democratic primary.

Among those who may have been considered in the running for the post, but ultimately not selected by Mason included:

• West Coast Governor David Cromartie of California
• Senate Majority Leader Calum Daniels of North Carolina
• Speaker of the House Emmett Honeycutt of Pennsylvania
• Senator Elizabeth Rosenbaum of California
• Senator Kathryn Spencer of Pennsylvania
• Northeast Governor James Stewart of Connecticut
• Heartland Governor Elizabeth Wellbourne of Michigan

State-by-state results

See Also

• Endorsements for the 2016 presidential primary election
• Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016