Delaware Republicans pick delegates to national convention

Delaware Republicans have overwhelmingly approved the state party’s slate of delegates to the Republican National Convention.

Sixteen delegates and 13 alternates were approved at the state party’s convention Saturday with only eight dissenting votes out of almost 300 cast.

Under party rules, the delegates must support billionaire businessman Donald Trump, who won Delaware’s primary, on the first ballot at the national convention.

Rob Arlett, Trump’s state campaign chairman, urged fellow Delawareans to rally around Trump, who Arlett said is the only Republican who can beat Hillary Clinton.

While Delaware GOP chairman Charlie Copeland thinks Trump will win the requisite number of delegates to earn the nomination outright, Arlett believes that if the convention does go to a second ballot, 15 of Delaware’s 16 delegates will remain with Trump.