The Presidential Primary is a relatively new approach in the American political process. Some states held primaries as early as 1901. It was after the 1968 Democrat National convention when Hubert Humphrey was nominated without running in a single primary, that the primary election was more widely adopted.

In 1976, Ronald Reagan ran a strong challenge to President Gerald Ford which was not settled until the convention. Since that time, candidates who were nominated by each party have won primaries and secured enough votes for the nomination before the national convention. This year we are experiencing an unintended consequence of the Primary process.

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