Delegates Unbound
{{Short description|American political organization established 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
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| founder = Eric O'Keefe,
Dane Waters
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| methods = Education, book publication, television advertising
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Delegates Unbound is an American non-profit political organization established in 2016. According to the organization, the group is "working to bring long term reform to the Republican Party."
Purpose
The group states that its "primary focus" is educating delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention "that they are unbound and free to vote as they see fit on all matters before the Republican National Convention, including whomever they wish to be the Republican nominee for President" in the 2016 presidential election.
Overview
In June 2016, activists Eric O'Keefe and Dane Waters formed Delegates Unbound, which CNN described as "an effort to convince delegates that they have the authority and the ability to vote for whomever they want."{{cite news |last1=LoBianco |first1=Tom |last2=Kopan |first2=Tal |title=RNC delegates launch 'Anybody but Trump' drive|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/17/politics/delegate-unbinding-effort-organized/|accessdate=June 18, 2016|publisher=CNN|date=June 17, 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Bash|first1=Dana|last2=Raju|first2=Manu|title=How the GOP could cut ties with Donald Trump|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/16/politics/donald-trump-republican-anxiety/index.html|accessdate=June 18, 2016|publisher=CNN|date=June 17, 2016}}{{cite news|last1=O'Keefe|first1=Eric|last2=Rivkin|first2=David|title=Release the GOP Delegates|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/release-the-gop-delegates-1465769777|accessdate=June 18, 2016|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=June 13, 2016}} The group is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization.{{cite web|first=Vaughn|last=Hillyard|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/anti-trump-group-launch-tv-ads-n598541|title=Anti-Trump Group to Launch TV Ads|work=NBC News|date=June 24, 2016|accessdate=June 27, 2016}}
Delegates Unbound published a book, Unbound: The Conscience of a Republican Delegate, written by Republican delegates Curly Haugland and Sean Parnell. The book, funded by the Citizens in Charge Foundation, argues that "delegates are not bound to vote for any particular candidate based on primary and caucus results, state party rules, or even state law."{{cite news|last1=Livengood|first1=Chad|title=Two Mich. GOP delegates join new plot to dump Trump|url=http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2016/06/17/two-mich-gop-delegates-join-new-plot-dump-trump/86067656/|accessdate=June 18, 2016|newspaper=The Detroit News|date=June 17, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://fox43.com/2016/06/24/first-on-cnn-delegates-unbound-cites-donald-trump-in-tv-ad/|title=Delegates Unbound cites Donald Trump in TV ad|publisher=WPMT|agency=CNN Wire|date=June 24, 2016|accessdate=June 27, 2016}}
According to the group, "There is no language supporting binding in the temporary rules of the convention, which are the only rules that matter" and "barring any rules changes at the convention, delegates can vote their conscience on the first ballot."{{Cite web |date=2022-02-12 |title=Recommendation of Brad Namdar Withdrawn in the GOP Primary |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2022/02/12/we-withdraw-our-recommendation-for-brad-namdar-in-the-republican-primary-for-the-32nd-congressional/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |language=en}} The group's co-founder, Eric O'Keefe, said, "Our goal is simple, to ensure the delegates are not misled to believe they must follow orders or rules set by others." O'Keefe added that he believes state laws and state party rules purporting to bind delegates to a particular candidate based on primary or caucus results are unenforceable and would lose a court challenge.{{cite news|last1=Epstein|first1=Reid|title=Anti-Trump Group to Air TV Ads Aimed at GOP Convention Delegates|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/06/24/anti-trump-group-to-air-tv-ads-aimed-at-gop-convention-delegates/|accessdate=June 24, 2016|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=June 24, 2016}}
Delegates Unbound began airing national television advertisements in late June 2016. The group's first advertisement spliced together clips of President Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump and urged Republican delegates to follow their consciences. The group planned to spend $2.5 million to $3.5 million on education and anti-Trump efforts.{{cite news|last1=Peters|first1=Jeremy|title=Dump-Trump Group to Show Ad Aimed at G.O.P. Delegates|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/us/politics/donald-trump-ad-republican-convention.html?_r=0|accessdate=June 27, 2016|work=New York Times|date=June 24, 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Kopan|first1=Tal|title=Delegates Unbound cites Donald Trump in TV ad|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/24/politics/delegates-unbound-first-television-ad-donald-trump/index.html|accessdate=June 24, 2016|publisher=CNN|date=June 24, 2016}}
See also
- Free the Delegates
- Stop Trump movement
- Our Principles PAC{{snd}}an anti-Trump outside group that worked to elect anti-Trump delegates.{{cite web|first=Leigh Ann|last=Caldwell|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-wins-big-among-pennsylvania-s-unbound-delegates-n563681|title=Trump Wins Big Among Pennsylvania's Unbound Delegates|work=NBC News|date=April 27, 2016|accessdate=June 27, 2016}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/06/24/delegates-unbound-ad.cnn Delegates Unbound advertisement "Follow Your Conscience"], via CNN News
{{Never Trump movement}}
Category:501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations
Category:Political movements in the United States
Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States
Category:Republican Party (United States) organizations
Category:2016 United States Republican presidential primaries