brokered convention
Dealmaking picks nominee
A brokered convention occurs when no candidate arrives at a political party's nominating convention with enough delegates to secure the nomination on the first ballot.
Delegates then negotiate, horse-trade, and shift allegiances across multiple rounds of voting until someone emerges with a majority.
The term evokes backroom dealing and political maneuvering: Political junkies fantasize about a brokered convention, but they rarely happen anymore.
- deadlockMutual blocking, no progress
- delegatesChosen representatives or assigns
- delegate countNumber of convention votes
- horse-tradingShrewd, tough negotiating
- politicsGovernmental power struggles
elections · majority · nomination · candidates · ballots · primaries · contested primary · contested · bargaining · pledged · compromise · party unity · primary election · smoke-filled room · caucus · backroom deals · negotiation · lobbying
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