Pennsylvania’s Aidan Levinson keeps the Democratic National Convention delegation running smoothly

Organizing contemporary televised political conventions requires the coordination of thousands of people working behind the scenes.

Aidan Levinson, a 23-year-old law student and one of three chairmen of the Pennsylvania caucus in the delegation to the Democratic National Convention, is an crucial part of that machine.

The original purpose of whips goes back to the days of brokered conventions, when they were involved in pressuring delegates to vote for specific candidates. But because there hasn’t been an open and competitive convention since the 1950s, whips are now part of the convention choreography, and Levinson is essentially a liaison between Pennsylvania delegates and Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign this week.

“We’ll be in the room all night helping the campaign team manage the room and make sure everything is in order, that everybody has what they need, and we’ll be the go-between,” he said. “It’s exciting. The best part is Pennsylvania has the best seats in the house. We’re right up there with the podium.”

For example, the campaign lets Levinson know what will be happening on stage — especially if the event involves Pennsylvania — to make sure the delegation knows when to stand up and cheer.

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Levinson has worked on campaigns in the Lehigh Valley and describes himself as a “Day 1 Biden guy.” He was the sole chair of the Pennsylvania House caucus during the all-virtual 2020 DNC, when delegates used PDF voting for the first time.

“I was chosen because I’m good with spreadsheets, numbers and technology,” he said.

Although the convention was held in person in Chicago this week, Democrats once again opted for virtual voting, with Tuesday evening’s vote being ceremonial in nature.

The real vote took place on Aug. 6. Because President Joe Biden withdrew from the race after securing the nomination, the virtual vote was technically an open convention, Levinson said.

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That meant he had to do what whips used to do: persuade delegates to vote for a particular candidate. Since Harris had no significant opposition, the job was more like IT support.

“We had a lot of conversations with people we knew from the delegation, making sure they got their voices heard and knew the process,” he said.