NEWS

Local democrats look forward to convention

Geoffrey Wilson
Poughkeepsie Journal

As Hillary Clinton is presumed to be named the first woman Democratic presidential nominee, local attendees to the Democratic National Convention hope to see the party unify.

In this July 13 file photo, a painting of President George Washington is seen behind Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as she speaks in Springfield, Illinois. Americans have mixed feelings on which presidential candidate will do better on key issues like health care, trade, the economy and terrorism. But when they simply consider whether they personally would be better off, they prefer Hillary Clinton.

"We need to be a united party and come out of the convention united," said Barbara Jeter-Jackson, Dutchess County legislator and attending delegate. "Hopefully the Bernie and Hillary delegates can come together."

The Democratic National Convention will run Monday through Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Attendees to the convention include several Hudson Valley locals.

Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney is a superdelegate. Delegates include Jeter-Jackson; Elisa Sumner, the Dutchess County Democratic Committee chair; Randy Florke, Maloney's husband; Jackie Graves, a delegate who supported Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, and Mike Hein, Ulster County Executive. Uma Satyendra, a delegate who ran supporting Clinton, is an alternate delegate.

Sumner, a first-time convention attendee, said she was excited to have the opportunity to see Clinton's nomination.

"I hope to see unity, diversity, positive solutions and Hillary Clinton nominated the first female candidate of a major party," Sumner said.

Another first-time attendee, Jeter-Jackson said she planned to study the current Democratic stances on various issues.

"I intend to see the platforms, particularly within my areas of interest: Minimum wage, women's rights and social security," Jeter-Jackson said.

Clinton announced Friday that Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia would be her running mate, a move to garner support from independent and moderate voters.

Clinton, former secretary of state and first lady, is a resident of Chappaqua, Westchester County.

On April 17, Chelsea Clinton, the candidate's daughter, stopped in the Town of Poughkeepsie for a "get out the vote" event in support of her mother. She married her husband, Marc Mezvinsky, in Rhinebeck in 2010.

Geoffrey Wilson: gwilson@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4882, Twitter: Geoff_LW

Live coverage

Check back to PoughkeepsieJournal.com and the Elections 2016 page next week, for full USA Today Network coverage of the Democratic National Convention. Use #DemsinPhilly and #DemConvention to join the conversation.