Presidential convention delegates also on April 23 ballot
When it comes to the 2024 presidential election, voters won’t just be picking their nominee on April 23.
They will also select delegates for the Republican and Democratic national conventions that will take place this summer.
Nominating conventions are where delegates for the two parties formally select their presidential candidates.
At this point, the likely nominees are Democratic incumbent Joe Biden, who is seeking a second term, and former President Donald Trump, a Republican who is seeking to return to office for a second term after his 2020 defeat to Biden.
If that holds true, the conventions would largely be a celebration of their candidate and party doctrine.
Still, to become part of that historic process, the majority of delegates in Pennsylvania – no matter what their party – must win their spots in the primary election.
To get on the ballot, they must collect 250 valid signatures from party members in their congressional district. For the Lehigh Valley, that is the 7th District, which covers all of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, and a small part of Monroe County.
For Democrats in the 7th, winning is pretty much a foregone conclusion as there are only as many candidates on the ballots – seven – as there are delegate positions.
Republicans in the 7th, however, currently have four candidates for three delegate spots and two alternate candidates for three spots on their ballot.
Here’s a look at the two parties and their candidates.
REPUBLICANS
The Republican convention will take place July 15-18 in Milwaukee where there will be an estimated 2,429 delegates – 2,325 pledged delegates and 104 unpledged delegates.
To win the Republican nomination, a presidential candidate must receive support from a majority of delegates — an estimated 1,215 delegates.
Pennsylvania Republicans will send 67 delegates to their convention. Of those, 51 will be selected in the primary by congressional district, meaning there will be three from each district. There will also be three alternates chosen per district.
Joe Vichot, chairman of the Lehigh County Republican Committee, said the delegates are not committed to the presidential primary winner but normally vote for the state’s nominee.
According to documents filed with the state, four candidates filed petitions to be delegates in the 7th while two filed petitions to be alternates.
Delegate candidates (three positions open)
Thomas J. Carroll, chair of the Lehigh Valley Tea Party. He was a 2020 delegate.
Patrick Cubbage, who was an unsuccessful delegate and alternate delegate candidate in 2020.
Rochelle Marie Pasquariello, who was an unsuscesful delegate candidate in 2020.
Jacqueline Rivera, who is secretary of the Lehigh County Republican Committee and ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner in November.
Alternate delegate candidates (three positions)
Eve Cubbage, who is married to Patrick Cubbage.
Robert E. Smith Jr., a former Allentown School Board member who elected as an alternate delegate candidate in 2020. He is Rivera’s father.
DEMOCRATS
The Democratic National Convention will take place Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
The event will draw an estimated 4,672 delegates: 3,933 of whom are pledged delegates and 739 automatic delegates.
To win the Democratic nomination right off the bat, a presidential candidate needs to receive support from a majority of the pledged delegates on the first ballot – an estimated 1,968 votes.
Pennsylvania Democrats will send 198 delegates to the convention, including 119 who will be on the primary ballot. The rest will be selected through a predetermined process.
Those 119 delegate candidates work out to seven for each of the state’s 17 congressional districts.
“We were selected by the Biden campaign by congressional district after we pledged to support Biden,” said Lori McFarland, chair of the Lehigh County Democratic Committee, who is among the seven.
Delagate candidates (seven positions):
Leslie M. Altieri, who is chair of Bethlehem Township, Freemansburg, Saucon Valley/Hellertown Democratic Committee. She was an alternate 2020 delegate.
Carmen Bell, an officer in the Lehigh County Democratic Committee.
Julian Alexander Guridy, who works for Pennsylvania’s State Senate.
Aidan Levinson, a political consultant and 2020 delegate.
Lori McFarland, chair of the Lehigh County Democratic Committee.
Baron Vanderburg, director of the Northampton County Democratic Black Caucus.
Anne Wakabayashi, a political consultant.