Do Alabama Democratic delegates have to vote for Biden? Your delegate questions answered

Victor Hagan, Montgomery Advertiser
·2 min read
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President Joe Biden announced he would not accept the Democratic Party presidential nomination Sunday, less than a month before the Democratic National Convention. What does that mean for Alabama's Democratic delegates, who were elected last weekend to nominate Biden for president?

Here’s what to know.

How many Democratic delegates does Alabama have?

Of the 3,896 national delegates Biden received, 52 were from Alabama, 100% of the state's delegates. There This number comes from a Democratic bylaws formula, which is based on each state’s population and percentage of the total Democratic vote.

Do Alabama delegates have to vote for Biden?

Joe Biden won the Democratic presidential nomination in Alabama’s primary elections on March 5. However, Alabama Democrats don’t technically have to vote for Biden, because of an existing “good conscience” clause in Democratic delegate selection rules.

President Joe Biden visits the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., on Sunday March 5, 2023 to commemorate the 58th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday bridge crossing.
President Joe Biden visits the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., on Sunday March 5, 2023 to commemorate the 58th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday bridge crossing.

Rule 13(J) states that “delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.” The rule has existed since the 1980s but has never affected a nomination.

More: Alabama lawmakers react to Biden stepping down as Democratic nominee

Who are Alabama's Democratic Delegates?

Alabama's Democratic Delegates are as follows:

Biden delegates:

  • Jason Fisher

  • Joseph L. Johnson

  • Mary Parker

  • Barbara Drummond

  • Kirk Hatcher

  • Kyle Adams

  • Patrice "Penni" McClammy

  • Patricia G. Edington

  • Phillip David Ensler

  • Vivian Davis Figures

  • Ciara Smith

  • Jeremy Gray

  • Kyle Pierce

  • Pam Howard

  • Curtis Travis

  • Susan McKenney

  • April Hodges

  • Benard Simelton

  • Kim Caudle Lewis

  • Laura Hill

  • Randal Lee Hadley

  • Adarris May

  • David Silverstein

  • Jane Grey Battle

  • Louise New Jones

  • Albert Turner Jr

  • Christopher John England

  • Helenor T. Bell

  • Kelvin Lawrence

  • Linda Coleman-Madison

  • Robert L. Stewart

  • Rolanda Hollis

  • Sheila Tyson

  • Warren "Billy" Young

"Uncommitted" delegates:

  • Jim Lawlor

  • John Squires

  • William Lewis Krause

  • Rodney Lee Lindsay

  • Julia Juarez

  • Keith O. Williams

Victor Hagan is the Alabama Election Reporting Fellow for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at vhagan@gannett.com or on X @TheVictorHagan. To support his work, subscribe to the Advertiser.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Do Alabama Democratic delegates have to vote for Biden