Minn. Democrats Weigh Unity As DNC Begins
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota's delegates prepared for the start of the Democratic National Convention on Monday with the same question in mind as political activists across the country: Can the party unite around Hillary Clinton for the presidency?
The start of the party's nominating convention in Philadelphia comes less than a week after Republicans formally nominated business mogul Donald Trump amid some signs of their own party's splintering. But Democratic party officials were battling the fallout from a weekend dump of emails that appeared to show staffers at the Democratic National Committee favored Clinton over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, stoking hard feelings among Sanders supporters.
Minnesota Democrats voted overwhelmingly for Sanders in the March 1 caucus, so the majority of the state's 104-member delegation is pledged to support the Vermont senator during the nominating process. But a group of 13 so-called superdelegates — party leaders and elected officials — can cast their votes independent of those results.
Rep. Keith Ellison said he was confident the party would eventually unify behind Clinton. Ellison was among the first members of Congress to endorse Sanders but later backed Clinton after Sanders himself endorsed her. He was set to introduce Sanders at the convention Monday night.
Ellison said the key to winning over dispirited Sanders supporters is to highlight his campaign's contributions to the broader Democratic platform, such as bringing in thousands of new voters and proposing a tuition-free college initiative that Clinton has since echoed. Those additions don't die with Clinton, he said.
"At the end of the day, the way to help them get enthusiastic is to help them see that their efforts were really important," Ellison said.
But the unity wasn't coming easily. Minnesota delegate and Sanders supporter Gabe Aderhold said a roomful of the senator's supporters booed loudly when Sanders said during a Monday morning meeting that he would back Clinton.
Aderhold said he'll vote for Clinton. But he doubts whether Sanders' pitch — if not Clinton, then it's Trump — would effectively sway many of his supporters.
"It's definitely not potent enough for new voters to back her," he said. "But it's a true statement, in my opinion, that the stakes are too high and it does make me inclined to support her this fall."
Minnesota superdelegate and Clinton supporter Javier Morillo said it's up to Sanders to help bring Democrats together after a troubling weekend, which saw the resignation of party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz following the publication of thousands of emails from the Democratic National Committee. He said he was waiting until after Sander's prime-time speech on the convention floor in the evening to determine whether Democrats will get behind Clinton.
"I think that Sen. Sanders will really set the tone more than the news cycle and the things that have happened. It will be how he chooses to move forward," Morillo said.
Ellison said he had no insight into what Sanders' message might be during that speech.
"I'll let Bernie be Bernie. He always says what the right thing to say is," Ellison said.
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