(Editor’s Note: The Elizabethton Star’s local coverage of the presidential election continues this weekend with the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention. Over the past two weeks the paper has spoken with local delegates and Carter County chairs of both parties on their opinions of the Republican National Convention and DNC.)
It’s full steam ahead now for the November election.
Following up on the heels of the Republican National Convention, the Democratic Party spent this week rallying together during the Democratic National Convention, held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., as they solidified Hillary Clinton as their nominee to vie for the presidency. Hillary becomes the first ever woman presidential candidate to obtain either a Democratic or Republican Party nomination.
The rally went from Monday until Thursday, and proved to be an inspiring moment for the party, according to Carter County Democratic Party chairman Ramon Sanchez-Vinas.
“I thought it showed an organized, unified and an extremely supportive base,” Sanchez-Vinas said. “I thought it also showed what a great selection Hillary Clinton was for the party. We actually held a convention viewing party at our headquarters in Elizabethton … it’s a very exciting time.”
Multiple speakers took the stage to show support for Clinton, including the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee, Tim Kaine of Virginia.
“I think he was a great pick,” Sanchez-Vinas said of Kaine. “He’s a really good middle-of-the-road type of politician that will work well with Hillary in the coming months.”
In a busy election that has seen its fair share of negativity on both sides of the spectrum, the Democratic Party saw their own fair share of controversy with the WikiLeaks email leaks that mentioned the party went out of its way to sabotage the campaign of previous presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. The scandal also cost Debbie Wasserman Schultz her position as the DNC chair.
But Sanchez-Vinas continued that the week proved to be positive for the party, with Sanders still continuing to pledge his support to Clinton.
“Being in the limelight over the years, you open yourself up to be chastised by the public,” he said. “I thought Hillary really handled herself well during the week and I believe we’ll see more of the real Hillary Clinton, a soft-spoken mother who is just another person like you or me.”
Since the conclusion of the DNC, the chairman said he’s seen a growth of support for the party.
“First and foremost, it is no longer a taboo to be called a democrat in Carter County,” Sanchez-Vinas said. “We’ve seen tremendous support locally and had a great time communicating with the base.”
Even with early projections swaying toward the Republican Party carrying Tennessee, Sanchez-Vinas added he’s excited to see how things shake up for the election.
“We know that Trump will carry the state of Tennessee,” he said. “But we’re going to do our part here in town and across the state. We’ll do our part, and we’ll let the rest of the country do their part to make sure Hillary gets elected in November.”
The downtown office is expected to be opened three or four days a week, going from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on how to get involved with the party, contact Sanchez-Vinas at 423-930-4237.