At the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union hall in downtown Atlanta on Saturday, “unity” was not so much the theme.
Then, again, neither was “acrimony.”
The Democratic Party of Georgia’s state committee gathered on a steamy summer day to finalize its delegation to the party’s national convention next month in Philadelphia. Thirty-one spots were up for grabs: 22 regular at-large seats and nine alternates.
While much has been made nationally of Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' refusal to drop out of the race, despite the fact former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has secured the necessary delegates, there was no vitriol on display Saturday. But neither was their a coming together of the two factions.
“I didn’t expect fireworks,” said state committee member Sandra Austin of DeKalb County. “I expected it to go smoothly.”
Smooth it was.
By party rules, Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, was entitled to 16 of the at-large delegates and six of the alternates. Her vanquished challenger, Sanders, was to be awarded six and three, respectively, by virtue of his showing in the state's March primary.
The more than 70 delegate candidates each were allowed to make two-minute speeches, and after each round ballots were cast. Clinton’s backers largely focused on the race to come against Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee of the Republicans. Sanders’ supporters, however, did not attack Clinton, but many also refused to back down — yet.
“I’m a radical leftist and have been since 1968,” Sanders supporter Matthew Milner said in his speech. “We are a family. Bernie has not yet lost this race and I am loyal. I will remain loyal until he wins or Bernie tells me not to be.”
Still, others were at least pragmatic. Kip Carr, the state party treasurer and a Sanders supporter, said in his delegate speech that, while he supports Sanders, “I will be casting a ballot for the next president of the United States, Hillary Clinton.”
State Rep. Calvin Smyre, D-Columbus, the longest-serving state lawmaker and a top Clinton supporter, said there is plenty of time for healing. The process has already started, he said.
“It is not a secret we had a spirited race,” said Smyre, a Clinton delegate to the convention. “I’m having a lot of conversations with the Bernie Sanders’ delegates. We’re trying to come together for a unity event in the future. We’re looking at ways to bring ourselves together.”
State Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, perhaps Sanders' highest-profile supporter in the state, said Sanders' supporters will not stop fighting, even if he's not the nominee.
“We want to be prompt, but we want the issues Bernie has been pushing, we want those issues included in the party platform,” Fort said.
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