PHILADELPHIA — Hillary Clinton on Tuesday became the first woman in U.S. history to win a major party’s presidential nomination, securing the top spot on the Democratic ticket after a divisive primary fight against Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Clinton, 68, will face Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, 70, in November.
Clinton won the nomination on her second try. After losing to then-Sen. Barack Obama in 2008, she served as secretary of state under President Obama. Clinton made history in 2000 when she won a seat in the U.S. Senate representing New York, becoming the only first lady to leap successfully into elected politics.
Clinton clinched the nomination in the packed Wells Fargo Center, where energized Sanders supporters have been booing Clinton and calling for the delegates to nominate Sanders instead.
Clinton clinched the nomination outright in June by securing enough delegates, and those delegates officially made her the nominee Tuesday night. She secured 2,205 delegates compared to Sanders’ 1,846 delegates. Clinton also won nearly 4 million more votes than Sanders.
Clinton was nominated by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, of Maryland, who was the first woman in the Democratic party elected to the U.S. Senate, and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a civil rights icon who said Clinton would fight to break down barriers for women and minorities.
“Eight years ago, our party nominated and elected the first person of color to ever serve in the White House not just for one, but two terms,” Lewis said. “Tonight we will shatter that glass ceiling again. We’re the party of tomorrow, and we will build a true democracy in America.”
Sanders was nominated by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, who said the movement behind the Sanders campaign “is bigger than any one of us, it speaks to our compassion and our hearts.” Those nominating Sanders acknowledged Clinton would ultimately prevail.
Paul Feeney, legislative director of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who seconded the Sanders nomination, called on delegates to back Hillary Clinton in November.
“My fellow Democrats, now is the time to stand up, to rise up and send a message to the rest of America that our party is united, our movement is united and our revolution has just begun,” he said.
