PHILADELPHIA — Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) formally locked down the party’s vice presidential nomination Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention.
Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), convention chairwoman, suspended the rules, allowing delegates to confirm Kaine’s nomination without a lengthy roll call vote.
{mosads}The Bernie Delegates Network — a liberal group including more than 1,200 delegates — had threatened to challenge Kaine’s nomination, but their effort fell short.
Some audible “no” shouts were heard in the Wells Fargo Center when Fudge asked for a voice vote on Kaine.
Sanders supporters accused party officials of delaying and ultimately stonewalling their effort to field a challenger to Kaine.
Donna Smith, the executive director of Progressive Democrats of America, told reporters she visited a local Democratic Party office in Philadelphia to retrieve the forms necessary to submit a challenger to Kaine.
Instead, in what she characterized as a “wild goose chase,“ she said she was instead given an email address for general questions.
Kaine has faced skepticism from some liberal voters over his support for some abortion restrictions and his positive comments about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The Virginia Democrat has publicly said he’s against the trade deal since accepting the VP spot.
Sanders delegates haven’t ruled out protesting Kaine’s speech, scheduled for later Wednesday evening, from the convention floor.
The Democrats’ decision to nominate Kaine by voice vote comes a day after the party formally nominated Clinton for president.
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) formally nominated Kaine on Wednesday.
Updated at 4:52 p.m.