Jane Sanders, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, interrupts her husband to let him know he has gone over time and is late for his next speaking engagement in South Charleston, West Virgina, during a campaign event in Kimball, West Virginia, on Thursday.

Jane Sanders, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, interrupts her husband to let him know he has gone over time and is late for his next speaking engagement in South Charleston, West Virgina, during a campaign event in Kimball, West Virginia, on Thursday.

Sanders wants supporters represented at party convention

LOS ANGELES — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders threatened a floor fight over rules and platform planks at the party’s summer convention on Friday, warning the Democratic National Committee not to stack the convention’s standing committees with supporters of Hillary Clinton.

Sanders wrote in a letter to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz that the makeup of the standing committees that consider the party’s platform and rules should reflect the level of support that he and Clinton have received during the 2016 primaries and caucuses.

“If the process is set up to produce an unfair, one-sided result, we are prepared to mobilize our delegates to force as many votes as necessary to amend the platform and rules on the floor of the convention,” Sanders wrote. The letter came after Sanders spoke with the chairwoman by phone earlier this week.

Sanders said if the party is going to be unified in the fall, it can’t have a convention in which the views of millions of people are “unrepresented” in the committee membership.

Pointing to the 9 million voters who have supported him, Sanders wrote, “I will not allow them be silenced at the Democratic National Convention.”

Luis Miranda, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said “because the party’s platform is a statement of our values, the DNC is committed to an open, inclusive and representative process. Both of our campaigns will be represented on the drafting committee, and just as we did in 2008 and 2012, the public will have opportunities to participate.”

Clinton holds a sizable lead of more than 300 pledged delegates and has received about 3 million more votes than Sanders during the primaries. Including superdelegates — the elected party leaders and officials who can choose the candidate of their choice — Clinton is more than 90 percent of the way to clinching the nomination.

In the letter, Sanders notes that Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy will be in charge of the convention’s platform committee and former Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank will run the rules committee. He calls both “aggressive attack surrogates on the campaign trail” for Clinton.

Sanders said he submitted the names of more than 40 people to serve on three standing committees and only three of his recommendations were selected by Wasserman Schultz. He said none of his supporters were assigned to the rules committee.

The Vermont senator has vowed to campaign through the end of the primary season in mid-June and advocate at the convention for his policy goals, which include fighting wealth inequality and overhauling the campaign finance system. He has also criticized states that do not allow independents to participate in Democratic contests or states that do not allow same-day registration.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Trader Joe’s customers walk in and out of the store on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Trader Joe’s opens this week at Everett Mall

It’s a short move from a longtime location, essentially across the street, where parking was often an adventure.

Ian Bramel-Allen enters a guilty plea to second-degree murder during a plea and sentencing hearing on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Deep remorse’: Man gets 17 years for friend’s fatal stabbing in Edmonds

Ian Bramel-Allen, 44, pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder for killing Bret Northcutt last year at a WinCo.

Firefighters respond to a small RV and a motorhome fire on Tuesday afternoon in Marysville. (Provided by Snohomish County Fire Distrct 22)
1 injured after RV fire, explosion near Marysville

The cause of the fire in the 11600 block of 81st Avenue NE had not been determined, fire officials said.

Ashton Dedmon appears in court during his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett Navy sailor sentenced to 90 days for fatal hit and run

Ashton Dedmon crashed into Joshua Kollman and drove away. Dedmon, a petty officer on the USS Kidd, reported he had a panic attack.

A kindergarten student works on a computer at Emerson Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘¡Una erupción!’: Dual language programs expanding to 10 local schools

A new bill aims to support 10 new programs each year statewide. In Snohomish County, most follow a 90-10 model of Spanish and English.

Logo for news use featuring the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Woman drives off cliff, dies on Tulalip Reservation

The woman fell 70 to 80 feet after driving off Priest Point Drive NW on Sunday afternoon.

Everett
Boy, 4, survives fall from Everett fourth-story apartment window

The child was being treated at Seattle Children’s. The city has a limited supply of window stops for low-income residents.

People head out to the water at low tide during an unseasonably warm day on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett shatters record high temperature by 11 degrees

On Saturday, it hit 73 degrees, breaking the previous record of 62 set in 2007.

Snohomish County Fire District #4 and Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue respond to a motor vehicle collision for a car and pole. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, near Triangle Bait & Tackle in Snohomish. (Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office)
Police: Troopers tried to stop driver before deadly crash in Snohomish

The man, 31, was driving at “a high rate of speed” when he crashed into a traffic light pole and died, investigators said.

Alan Dean, who is accused of the 1993 strangulation murder of 15-year-old Bothell girl Melissa Lee, appears in court during opening statements of his trial on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
31 years later, trial opens in Bothell teen’s brutal killing

In April 1993, Melissa Lee’s body was found below Edgewater Creek Bridge. It would take 27 years to arrest Alan Dean in her death.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Snohomish in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Man dies after crashing into pole in Snohomish

Just before 1 a.m., the driver crashed into a traffic light pole at the intersection of 2nd Street and Maple Avenue.

Bodies of two men recovered after falling into Eagle Falls near Index

Two men fell into the falls and did not resurface Saturday, authorities said. After a recovery effort, two bodies were found.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.