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Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic presidential nomination and makes history
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 Date: November 8, 2016 |
Winner: Donald Trump (R) Hillary Clinton (D) • Jill Stein (G) • Gary Johnson (L) • Vice presidential candidates |
Important dates • Nominating process • Ballotpedia's 2016 Battleground Poll • Polls • Debates • Presidential election by state • Ratings and scorecards |
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This article covering the 2016 presidential election was written outside the scope of Ballotpedia's encyclopedic coverage and does not fall under our neutrality policy or style guidelines. It is preserved as it was originally written. For our encyclopedic coverage of the 2016 election, click here.
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July 26, 2016
By Emily Aubert
Philadelphia— With support from 2,842 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton became the first woman to win the presidential nomination of a major party on Tuesday night.
Although Clinton's nomination was followed by a walkout by some Bernie Sanders delegates, the roll call itself proceeded without issue.
Sanders' name was placed into consideration by U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii). Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, she said, "A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. Now, my friends, because this is a movement fueled by love, it can never be stopped or defeated."
U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) emphasized the historic nature of Clinton's candidacy in her nominating speech. "On behalf of all the women who've broken down barriers for others, and with an eye toward the barriers still ahead, I proudly place Hillary Clinton's name in nomination to be the next president of the United States of America," she said.
To secure the party’s nomination, Clinton needed support from at least 2,383 delegates. The roll call was taken alphabetically and she achieved this majority when South Dakota cast 15 of its 25 votes for her. More than one-third of the state delegations had abstentions or votes unaccounted for during the roll call. Florida and Illinois logged the most with 11 each.
Unlike the Republican National Convention—where Michigan passed during the roll call so that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s home state of New York could push him over the top to much fanfare—the Democratic roll call continued without recognition that Clinton had won the nomination until all votes were tallied.
The delegation from Vermont, Sanders' home state, was the last to be counted in the roll call having passed during its turn. In a show of unity, Sanders called for the nomination of Clinton by acclamation. It was likely a familiar scene to many Clinton supporters. In 2008, she joined the delegation from New York to do the same for President Barack Obama.
See also
- DNC Rules Committee, 2016
- The Democratic Party Platform and DNC Platform Committees, 2016
- Democratic National Committee
- Democratic National Convention, 2016
