Philadelphia: Hillary Clinton today made history by clinching the Democratic White House nomination, becoming the first woman to lead a major party in the US Presidential race.
Clinton, who has been Secretary of State, First Lady and Senator from New York, secured her nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia after a majority of the 4,764 party delegates formally backed her.
Her rival from the primaries, Bernie Sanders was one of those to move a resolution for her nomination when the roll call got to his home state of Vermont — sending out a vital message of unity for a party struck by deep divisions. “I move that Hillary Clinton be nominated as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate of the United States,” Sanders said towards the conclusion of the roll call.
Moments later, the Democratic delegates nominated Clinton as the party’s presidential candidate, setting up a high-stakes showdown with Republican Donald Trump.
“This moment is for every little girl who dreams big. #WeMadeHistory,” tweeted Clinton, who will turn 69 in October. “Stronger together,” she said in another tweet.
Clinton’s nomination was proposed by Congresswoman Barbara A Mikulski, the first Democratic woman elected to the Senate, and the first woman to chair the powerful Senate Committee on Appropriations. “It is with a full heart that I am here today as we nominate Hillary Clinton to be the first woman president,” she said.
“Many of you have broken barriers. You were the first to go to college. You were the first to start a business. Maybe the first to be a citizen. But you knew when you broke a barrier you didn’t do it for yourself. You did it so others would not have to face them again.
That’s what Hillary wants to do. She wants to break down all the barriers to opportunity,” Mikulski said.
PTI