Sanders picked up the support of three superdelegates Tuesday. Vermont Democratic Party chair Dottie Deans, party vice chair Tim Jerman and Secretary of State Jim Condos all announced their support for Sanders.
At a Statehouse press conference, Condos and Jerman cited Sanders’ margin of victory in Vermont’s March 1 primary. Sanders won nearly 86 percent of the vote, outpolled Clinton in every Vermont town and won all 11 of the state’s district delegates to the convention.
The state’s 10 superdelegates don’t have to base their support on the primary’s outcome, but Condos and Jerman said it was a factor for them.
“It’s unprecedented for a candidate to win their own state by such an immense margin,” said Condos, who is a superdelegate because he serves as vice chair of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State.
They also noted Sanders’ unexpectedly strong campaign outside Vermont. “Bernie’s message is obviously resonating around the country,” said Jerman, who is a state representative from Essex Junction.
“There’s no question that Bernie Sanders’ campaign has invigorated and engaged many people,” Condos said.
Deans and Jerman stressed that their support for Sanders is a personal decision and does not constitute an endorsement by the state party.
Vermont’s other seven superdelegates had already said whom they support.
Backing Sanders, in addition to Deans, Jerman and Condos are: Sanders himself, Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Democratic National Committee member Rich Cassidy.
Those supporting Clinton: Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Gov. Peter Shumlin, former governor Howard Dean and Democratic National Committee member Billi Gosh.
Superdelegate support around the country for Clinton has raised questions about the process. Jerman acknowledged that Tuesday, saying he supports changes to the delegate-selection process to address perceptions that it is dominated by established politicians rather than voters.
Cassidy, a South Burlington attorney, dropped by the Statehouse on Tuesday to thank Condos and Jerman for supporting Sanders. “It’s a nice development,” he said, but he put it in perspective: “I don’t think it’s going to turn the tide. That rests with the voters.”
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Patrick Leahy and Howard Dean represent the good Ole boy network at its best. Leahy can barely put a sentence together these days and it’s time for him to call it quits. He is an absolute embarrassment. Howard Dean is part of the problem, not the solution. He is jealous Bernie will be the next president and when he ran he looked like an idiot.
Cast your vote for Hillary and screw the people that put you where you are. Your whole political careers were based on these kind of moves.
I am disturbed far more by the votes of Leahy and Shumlin than Dean and Gosh. Leahy and Shumlin were elected by the people of Vermont to be their representatives. Vermont has spoken with crystal clarity regarding its choice of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders to be the Democratic candidates. In my view, Leahy and Shumlin should both be casting their superdelegate votes on behalf of the people of Vermont, not on behalf of politicians they themselves favor due to prior commitments of some kind. Shumlin’s case is particularly egregious, since he campaigned for Hillary in Iowa and is clearly lobbying for a place in an HRC administration.
On the other hand, if Shumlin is angling for a Washington job, at least that will get him out of the state…