PORTLAND, Maine - Ahead of the Democratic National Convention, a Maine delegate is telling donors there's enough support for a floor vote to abolish unpledged "superdelegates'' in future elections.
Democratic state Rep. Diane Russell has gained national prominence for advocating against the outsized influence of superdelegates, who are elected officials and party leaders free to vote for the candidates of their choosing at next week's gathering in Philadelphia.
On Saturday, the rules committee will debate an anti-superdelegate amendment submitted by Rhode Island state Rep. Aaron Regunberg. Supporters say there are enough co-sponsors for the proposal to be sent to the convention floor for consideration.
Russell successfully sponsored an amendment at Maine's convention to eliminate the influence of superdelegates by 2020. Since then, other state delegations have passed similar proposals.