Why a Nominating Convention?

The following explanation, sent by State Democratic Party Chairman, Dwight Pelz in April, 2008, provides a bit of history behind the change over from selecting our nominees by primary elections to nominating them at LD conventions.

Notice to LD and County Parties on Conducting Nominating Conventions for Partisan Offices

From Dwight Pelz, Chair, WSDCC April 6, 2008

On Thursday, April 3, the WSDCC Executive Board met to discuss the Party’s response to the US Supreme Court ruling upholding the Top Two Primary. The E Board reviewed the Rules for the Selection of Candidates and Nominees for Public Office, which were debated and adopted by the State Central Committee in 2005.

The Rules provide procedures by which the Party will nominate its candidates when the State does not conduct a Democratic Primary which meets the rights of the Party to have Democrats nominate Democrats. The Top Two Primary does not meet this test. In fact it is not a primary, in the sense of an election whose purpose is to nominate a candidate from within a political party.

The Executive Board reviewed these Rules; then voted 17 to 1 to affirm the implementation of them. The Executive Board acknowledged that because these Rules have been adopted by the Central Committee, the Party is required to implement the Rules -- unless an emergency Central Committee is convened to amend them. Nonetheless, the E. Brd. found the Rules to be a well reasoned response to the Supreme Court’s ruling, and did not recommend to convene an emergency Central Committee meeting at this time.

I encourage all Party Leaders to review these Rules. They call for the conduct of Nominating Conventions to be held at the LD, County, and Congressional levels where those jurisdictions will have partisan races this year. The votes at these Conventions shall be cast by elected and appointed Precinct Committee Officers. (PCO’s) Each Nominating Convention will nominate one Democrat for each partisan office, by majority vote. This is not an endorsement meeting, there is no two-thirds rule, and there will be no dual nominations.

As Chair of the Party, and pursuant to the Rules for the Selection of Candidates and Nominees for Public Office, I call on all Chairs of LD or County Parties in jurisdictions which will be conducting partisan elections in 2008, to inform me of the date and location they will hold a Nominating Convention Prior to May 23. Once I learn of the time and place you identify, I will formally issue the "Call" for that meeting.

Each jurisdiction must hold a separate meeting - LD and County Nominating Conventions shall not occur at the same time. These meetings can be scheduled to occur at a regularly scheduled monthly meeting. I encourage LD and County Chairs to coordinate these efforts to insure there are no conflicting Conventions within a County or Legislative District.

Conventions for purposes of nominating candidates for Congress shall be held prior to or immediately following the May 17 Congressional District Caucuses. However the votes cast at the Congressional level Nominating Convention shall be by the PCO’s, not the delegates.

Statewide candidates will be nominated at the State Convention in Spokane on June 14, by the delegates to the State Convention.

I understand these Conventions will be an additional burden to Democrats working very hard to implement our Delegate Selection Plan. However I am confident that you will step up to the challenge of a Supreme Court Ruling which calls into question our rights and responsibilities as an American political party. I am confident you will meet this challenge with clarity, supreme organization, and equity to all involved.