Subject: FLAG: the News Journal: Delaware Democrats elect convention delegates
From: "Wei, Shu-Yen" <[email-masked]>
To: Comm_D <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 8 May 2016 14:03:13 -0700

Delaware Democrats elect convention delegates
[http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/2fb402ba03b25707aab772e8643bd85d85cfcc8c/c=0-0-1540-1540&r=1024x1024&r=26&c=26x26/local/-/media/2015/01/28/Wilmington/Wilmington/635580416128843696-parra1.jpg] Esteban Parra<http://www.delawareonline.com/staff/9235/esteban-parra/>, The News Journal5:40 p.m. EDT May 7, 2016
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/07/delaware-democrats-electing-convention-delegates/84034972/
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(Photo: ESTEBAN PARRA/THE NEWS JOURNAL)
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The state Democratic Party elected its 2016 Pledged National Convention Delegation Saturday.

More than 240 Democrats met at Delaware Technical Community College's Terry Campus in Dover to see which 21 party faithful will represent them at the Democratic National Convention being held July 25 through the 28 in Philadelphia.

"Is it good to be a Democrat?" Sen. Tom Carper asked the group, which responded with a loud: "Yes."

Carper rallied the Democrats, reminding them what values good leaders have.

"Whether you are for Bernie [Sanders] or Hillary [Clinton], we've got two wonderful people running," Carper said. "We are blessed."

Delaware has a total of 31 delegates heading to the convention. Ten are superdelegates, who are automatically seated because they are party leaders or elected officials. They are not beholden to the choices of the state's electorate. But the 21 delegates selected Saturday are assigned to represent either Clinton or Sanders.

Jordan Hines, 27, of Bear, went to the caucus out of interest and to support friends seeking to go to the convention.

"This is important because any election is important for our future," he said, adding the delegates play a big part in the convention.

Elected Saturday:
*   Eight subdivision-level delegates pledged to Clinton; Italo Carrieri-Russo, Sean Finnigan, Erik Raser-Schramm, Betsy Maron, Courtney McGregor, Margaret Fuller, Sandy Taylor and Mitch Crane.
*   Six subdivision-level delegates pledged to Sanders; Glen Schmiesing, Janet Selden, Colby Owens, Douglas Drummond, Valarie Thompson and Catherine Ciferni.
*   Wilmington Council President Theo Gregory as a party leader and elected official delegate for Sanders.
*   Senate President Pro Tem Patricia Blevins, D-Elsmere, to be a party leader and elected official delegate for Clinton.
*   Three at-large delegates pledged to Clinton; Christofer Johnson, Rep. Debra Heffernan, D-Bellefonte, and Lydia York.
*   Two at-large delegates pledged to Sanders; Mona Parikh and Terri McIvor.

Gregory, who said this was his first time being selected as a delegate, is eager to head to the convention to listen to Sanders' message.

"I just hope that the Democrats are victorious in November," he said, adding he didn't mind if Sanders or Clinton wins. "Just as long as it's a Democrat."
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Wilmington Council President Theo Gregory was elected a party leader and elected official delegate for Bernie Sanders. (Photo: ESTEBAN PARRA/THE NEWS JOURNAL)

Delaware Republicans elected their convention delegates last month.

Nearly all of Delaware's 16 delegates to the national GOP convention in Cleveland are committed to supporting Donald Trump even if the convention's nominee-picking process goes past a first ballot, Trump campaign chairman Rob Arlett said last month.

Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, [email-masked] or Twitter @eparra3.