HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — While many questions remain regarding whether the Republican and Democratic conventions will actually take place as scheduled this August, delegate selection for the two parties in Hillsborough County’s 14th Congressional District will take place this weekend.
What You Need To Know
- Democratic delegate selection runs Thursday-Saturday
- Republicans select delegates Saturday
- Deadline to request electronic ballot from Florida Democratic Party website to participate in selection is Wednesday, May 13 at 5 p.m.
- More Hillsborough County stories
Hillsborough Republicans will choose three delegates and three alternates for Donald Trump this Saturday from their party headquarters in Tampa.
Among those vying to be a Trump delegate is Jake Hoffman, the president of the Tampa Bay Young Republicans.
“It’s an event,” he said asked about his level of enthusiasm for the RNC. “Coming out of COVID-19 and being locked in the house for months, I can’t wait to be around everybody in a convention.”
Hoffman’s approach to attending the convention while COVID-19 persists is consistent with what other Tampa Bay-area Republicans have expressed. The 29-year-old is very aware of concerns about traveling by plane, staying in a hotel room, and attending a packed event for days on end inside an enclosed space.
“I know there’s going to be some people out there who think it’s maybe irresponsible that the conventions are even meeting, even all the way in August,” he says. “Personally, I’m not worried.”
Hoffman added that if it’s possible to take an antibody test before the convention, he would gladly take one.
The CD 14 GOP Congressional Committee Caucus will interview Hoffman and all of the other candidates vying to be delegates or alternates this weekend. Hillsborough County GOP Chair Jim Waurishuk will lead those interviews.
As far as Waurishuk is concerned, it’s all systems go as to whether the convention will take place as scheduled in Charlotte.
“We’ve been having periodic conference calls on the status of how things are going and everything is moving forward,” Waurishuk said. “The Florida delegation should hear in another week or two where our hotel is going to be. We’re told it’s going to be a great venue, close to the convention itself.”
Democrats Going Online for selections
Democrats running to be delegates throughout Florida will be selected online in a three-day vote beginning on Thursday and ending Saturday.
In Hillsborough’s 14th District, there are 19 people vying to be Joe Biden delegates. Ultimately, two males and two females will be selected as Biden delegates, with one alternate female.
For Bernie Sanders supporters, there are 17 people running to serve as a delegate for the Vermont Senator. One male and one female Sanders advocate will be selected to represent the 14th District.
Biden leads the race with 1,406 delegates, while Sanders has 974, according to the Associated Press.
Although nothing has been decided with the Democrats, the conventional wisdom is that they may do something virtually, rather than try to convene a four-day event inside a basketball arena in August.
Chris Cano is hoping to be selected as a delegate for Bernie Sanders. But he’s skeptical of the push for a virtual convention, citing the digital divide between the have and have-nots inside the party.
“I mean, let’s call it out for what it is,” he says. ”The establishment and those in power that feel threatened by the vision and the platform that supporters of Senator Sanders have for America, they’re going to come out on top with a virtual convention. It’s going to feel like folks are going to be shut out, and not everybody has access to high-speed Internet. That’s actually part of Senator Sanders' platform.”
To date, Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez has continued to maintain the position that the show will go on as scheduled.
Members of Democratic National Committee were scheduled to vote on Tuesday on a proposal that could allow for a remote convention this summer, Axios reported today.
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has publicly mused about hosting the event outdoors.
“So my suggestion to Mr. Perez was get a gigantic stadium and put people six feet apart,” Pelosi told the Hill. “So maybe instead of having 80,000 people there, you would have 16,000 people there and just do it all in one day. I served [on] the platform committee in [in 1992] so I know what that entails — [you] have your platform and then nominate your vice president, nominate the president, have your speeches and everyone go home.”
All voters registered as Democrats in Florida are eligible to vote in their Congressional District’s delegate election. The deadline to request an electronic ballot from the Florida Democratic Party’s website is 5 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 13.
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