PHILADELPHIA–Democrats have officially nominated Hillary Clinton as the party’s candidate, making history.
It took until South Dakota during the roll call for Clinton to reach the 2,382 threshold to officially make her the party’s nominee.
When Vermont, the third to last delegation to go, came up, the state passed its turn. That meant the state where Bernie Sanders serves as senator got to go last, and Sanders even spoke at this time.
"I move that the convention suspend the procedural rules. I move that all votes, all votes cast by delegates be reflected in the official record, and I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee of the Democratic Party for president of the United States," Sanders said in a momentous moment, signifying his wish for unity in the party.
"Senator Sanders has moved in the spirit of unity to suspend the rules. To suspend the rules and nominate Hillary Clinton by acclamation as the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party," said Rep. Marcia Fudge, the chair of the Democratic National Convention following Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Shultz' decision to step down amid an email leak.
Her landmark achievement saturated the roll call with emotion and symbols of women's long struggle to break through political barriers. A 102-year-old woman, born before women had the right to vote, cast the ballots for Arizona. Jerry Emmett remembers seeing her mother go to vote for the first time after the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920.
During the roll call, Connecticut Democratic Party Chair Dominic Balleto Jr. and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman spoke and cast the delegate votes: 27 for Bernie Sanders and 44 for Hillary Clinton.
Bolleto spoke first, saying, "As the country has seen through the last few weeks--a walk out, a sit in and a filibuster--we have the most aggressive and progressive delegation in the Congress. We are the college home of the former and next president of the united states, but most importantly the home of the pizza and the hamburger." Then Wyman read the delegate count.
Veronica DeLandro, executive director of the Aurora Foundation for Women and Girls in Greater Hartford, spoke to FOX 61 after the nomination became official. DeLandro said she sees this as an opportunity to encourage more women to run for office, regardless of their political affiliation.
"You can't be what you can't see. So for women and girls to look up and see someone that looks like them that is holding a position, a leadership position, is very inspiring and empowering," said DeLandro.
Supporters of rival Bernie Sanders supported him during the roll call, but the Vermont senator acknowledged beforehand he wouldn't have enough delegates to win the nomination.
Former President Bill Clinton is set to headline the list of speakers in primetime, but in the meantime tweeted his support for his wife after the nomination was made official:
