Democrats nominate Hillary Clinton for president

PHILADELPHIA – The Democratic Party officially nominated Hillary Clinton for president on Tuesday, making her the first woman in history to be the standard bearer for a major political party.

Clinton officially secured the 2,383 delegates needed to clinch the nomination after South Dakota cast its 15 delegates for the former secretary of State.

{mosads}Supporters of Bernie Sanders enthusiastically cheered when votes for Sanders were announced, but they did not loudly jeer Clinton votes or interrupt proceedings — a relief to Democrats who worried the roll call would further inflame divisions in the party.

The outcome of the primary battle between Clinton and rival Bernie Sanders had been decided for weeks. The only drama surrounded the potential for chaos on the floor – something officials from both parties sought to squelch ahead of time.

There were fears leading up to convention that Sanders’ supporters would boo and jeer Clinton, embarrassing the nominee on her big day.

But without exception, the state-by-state roll call was a resounding success for the party.

The arena repeatedly erupted as delegates cast the bulk of their votes for Clinton.

Those delegates who announced their support for Sanders — including his brother, Larry Sanders, who tearfully recalled their late parents – did so in a positive way that would not be viewed as a slight to the nominee. 

The end result was a series of unifying moments for a party looking to rebound after Democratic National Committee chairwoman resigned under pressure amid accusations her agency had worked to undermine the Sanders campaign.

Clinton will formally accept the party’s nomination Thursday, the final night of the Democratic convention, setting up a general election fight against Republican Donald Trump.

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), the longest serving woman in the Senate, nominated Clinton on stage at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia before a packed house of delegates and party officials.

Mikulski, the first woman ever elected to the Senate, touted the historic nature of Clinton’s nomination.

“It is with a full heart that I am here today as we nominate Hillary Clinton to be the first woman president,” she said.

“She wants to break barriers so you won’t have barriers. You can count on her. She’ll fight for your day-to-day needs and the long range needs of he country.”

The crowd erupted.

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a civil rights icon, seconded the nomination.

“We have come too far, we’ve made too much progress and we are not going back, we are going forward,” Lewis declared.

“Eight years ago our party, the Democratic Party nominated and elected the first person of color to serve in the White House,” he said. “Tonight, on this night, we will shatter that glass ceiling again.”

Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, will address the convention later Tuesday night.

The roll call vote marked the end of Sanders’s spirited challenge, which surged higher than experts thought possible.

The Vermont senator raised tens of millions of dollars in grassroots donations, attracted young voters to his insurgent campaign, and galvanized grassroots liberals on his way to winning 22 states.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), a Sanders supporter, put forth his name for nomination to huge cheers from the revved up crowd and encouraged liberals to take up his torch.

“My friends, because this is a movement fueled by love it can never be stopped or defeated,” she said. “Now on the behalf of millions inspired by aloha, determined to seek a future rooted in love, compassion and justice for all and dedicated to a government of the people by the people and for the people. I’m honored to nominate Bernie Sanders for president of the United States.”

Sanders looked on smiling from a suite inside the arena.

Now Clinton will seek to rally the nearly 13 million voters who cast their ballots for Sanders during the primary.

That has been a struggle so far.

Democrats are working to unify the party after a bitterly fought primary exposed a deep rift between legacy Democrats and the newly active liberals that Sanders has brought into the fold.

That tension played out on the floor of the convention on Monday night, as mentions of Clinton provoked cheers from her supporters and boos from Sanders backers.

But Tuesday night went smoothly, setting the stage for Democrats to leave Philadelphia optimistic that the turbulence is behind them.