I am a DNC delegate and here is what must happen to make an open convention work

• Mohit Agrawal is a PhD student and was senior policy advisor to Gov. Ned Lamont of Connecticut. He is a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from TN's 7th Congressional District.

America is better off today than four years ago due to the leadership and accomplishments of President Biden and Vice President Harris.

The president and vice president have achieved major legislative deals that will bring back semiconductor manufacturing to America, lower the cost of insulin for millions of Americans, and invest in fixing our broken infrastructure. The strong midterm election results in 2022 further demonstrated President Biden’s strong standing with the electorate.  

However, President Biden badly fumbled at last month’s debate, and some Democrats are now considering whether the party should nominate Vice President Harris or another candidate at an open convention in a few weeks’ time. 

DNC delegates have a responsibility to represent the voices of the community

I am a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District (CD), and I recognize the concerns that many have about President Biden’s debate performance. A poorly performing presidential ticket is likely to negatively impact down ballot races, particularly in communities like those in the 7th CD where Democrats are already outnumbered. 

My responsibility as a delegate is to act on behalf of the Democrats of the 7th CD to best position the party for success this fall. Over the last week, I have heard significant concern from Democrats about President Biden staying on the ticket. However, the choice to stay in the race is President Biden’s alone given that he has already secured the necessary delegates to be the Democratic nominee.

If President Biden steps aside as the Democratic candidate, I will approach the open convention with a commitment to listen to the communities I represent. And I believe my fellow delegates will approach their roles similarly. Despite the good intentions of the delegates, though, an open convention could create divisions within the party like in 1968. To prevent this, the party must go above and beyond over the next few weeks to strengthen delegates’ positions and inject more transparency and trust into the system. 

An open convention may be effective with these precautions

First, we must commit to implementing strong rules on ethics, conflicts of interest, and disclosure. Our delegates are broadly representative of the American people and should not only be free from undue influence but also seen as such by the public. 

Second, we need a structured process for delegates to report community input to the national party. Delegates like myself are hearing from community members about whether President Biden should stay on the ticket, and our party leaders need to hear from us. 

Third, if there is an open convention, delegates must have the opportunity to help nominate candidates. John Zogby, a former DNC committee member, recently circulated a memo about how to run an open convention in a compressed time frame.

Unfortunately, he suggests that only DNC committee members be allowed to nominate candidates. I strongly disagree and believe that if we have an open convention, the party must empower all delegates so that the selection process is viewed as legitimate by voters.  

These steps will strengthen delegates’ roles and help Americans trust that their voices were heard by the Democratic Party. If done right, an open convention is an opportunity for the party to not only select a new ticket that is best positioned to win this fall, but also for the party to showcase a truly small-d democratic process that makes all voices heard. 

Find all state delegates on the TN Democratic Party’s website. 

Mohit Agrawal is a Ph.D. student in economics and was senior policy advisor to Gov. Ned Lamont of Connecticut. He can be reached at magrawaltn@gmail.com. He is a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.