Tennessee's delegates boost Trump to official nomination at RNC: How many delegates does state have?

Tennessee's Republican delegates officially pledged their support for former President Donald Trump Monday afternoon during the first session of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

"I'm happy to report that from the mighty Mississippi, Graceland and Beale Street, to the Grand Ole Opry to the Great Smoky Mountains, Rocky Top and Dollywood, to Rock City and Lookout Mountain and Bristol Motors Speedway and all points in between, we proudly cast all 58 of our votes for the next president of the United States, Donald J. Trump," state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson announced from the floor of the Fiserv Forum arena.

Johnson, R-Franklin, was joined by House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland.

The declaration culminated in Trump becoming the official Republican presidential nominee shortly after his son, Eric Trump, delivered the delegates that put Trump over the top.

Here's what to know about Tennessee's Republican delegates and their role in Republican National Convention.

How many Republican delegates does Tennessee have?

Tennessee has 58 total Republican delegates. There are 31 statewide delegates and 27 congressional district delegates, three per district. Trump earned all of them in the March 5 Tennessee Republican presidential primary.

How do presidential candidates earn delegates?

During the primary season, U.S. voters in primaries or caucuses cast ballots for their preferred candidates and, based on the results, the candidates earn delegates who will represent voters for their region at the convention. Delegates are earned in different ways, based on the candidates' performance.

• Democratic Party: Delegates are awarded in proportion to the candidate's vote percentage.

• Republican Party: Delegates are allocated either proportionately based on the statewide vote, by winner-take-all, or by some hybrid version of the two, depending on the state. In Tennessee, the winner takes all when a candidate exceeds two-thirds of the vote.

At the convention, thousands of delegates, both pledged and unpledged, will cast their votes for the candidates. To win the nomination, a Democratic candidate must have around 1,969 votes, and a Republican candidate must have at least 1,215. Trump collected 2,265 in the primaries.

How many electoral votes does Tennessee have?

The U.S. Electoral College, the voting process that decides who should be the nation's next president, has a total of 538 total electoral votes, based upon the size of each state's congressional delegation. A presidential candidate needs 270 votes to win the election.

Tennessee has 11 electoral votes.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Trump wins nomination at RNC: How many delegates does Tennessee have?