Sanders Delegates Weigh Kaine Challenge
Progressives were critical of Kaine's record
PHILADELPHIA — Democratic delegates supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders are weighing a potential convention floor fight over the vice presidential nominee.
Norman Solomon, a Sanders delegate from California, said the choice of Sen. Tim Kaine as Hillary Clinton’s running mate shows “demonstrable contempt for the progressive wing of the party.”
Solomon told reporters at a news conference that there are “very serious” discussions about forcing a challenge to the Kaine nomination on the convention floor.
Solomon heads the The Bernie Delegates Network, an independent group of Sanders delegates which claims 1,250 in their ranks. The group conducted a survey of some delegates 10 days ago, in which some 88.1 percent said Kaine would be a “not acceptable” choice.
“We’re going to be very quickly doing another straw poll,” to see what action the delegates would like to do, Solomon said.
He expected that survey of delegates within the network would take place within the next 24 hours.
Solomon said that under the Democratic National Convention rules, it would take 300 signatures, no more than 50 of which could originate from any individual state, in order to put a second name in for nomination as vice president.
“There has been outreach to specific individuals” about possibly being involved, said Progressive Democrats of America Executive Director Donna Smith, speaking at the same news conference.
Sanders said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he would have preferred another person for vice president, but the choice was up to Clinton. But, he said, Kaine was not the choice he was hoping for.
“Tim is a very very smart guy. His is a very nice guy. His political views are not my political views. He is more conservative than I am,” Sanders said. “Would I have preferred to see somebody like Elizabeth Warren selected by Secretary Clinton? Yes I would have.”
Bridget Bowman contributed.
Contact Lesniewski at NielsLesniewski@cqrollcall.com and follow him on Twitter @nielslesniewski.