The Texas leaders of Hillary Clinton’s and Bernie Sanders' presidential campaigns are calling on their supporters to unite, in order to face presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The call comes as Democrats prepare to open their state convention in San Antonio. Party leaders are hoping to keep lingering bitterness from the primary season from infecting the proceedings at the Alamodome.
"The revolution that Senator Sanders has begun is larger than any one person, and we must work with all Texas Democrats to ensure that we build the pillars of that revolution together, beginning this week," says Jacob Limon, Texas state director for the Sanders' campaign.
Former state land commissioner Garry Mauro heads Hillary Clinton's operations in Texas. Mauro says it's important Sanders' supporters get their proper share of national delegates, as guaranteed under state party rules. The state's March 1 primary awarded roughly a third of the delegates to Sanders and most of the remainder to Clinton.
"But the reality is after we do that," Mauro says, "we ought to start talking about what we're going to present to Texans and the American people about the future of this country."
Mauro says at this point in the 2008 presidential campaign, less than half of Clinton supporters said they would vote for Barack Obama in the fall. The vast majority ultimately did vote for Obama, rather than stay home or support Republican candidate John McCain.
"People who are supportive of Bernie Sanders are very likely to come back to vote for Hillary Clinton, especially if they're hardcore Democrats," says Brandon Rottinghaus, associate professor of political science at the University of Houston. Rottinghaus says those Sanders supporters who consider themselves independents are less likely to back Clinton in November.
State Democratic Campaign Leaders' Joint Letter
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