California Democratic Convention wraps after three days in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - The California Democratic Convention highlighted the two sides of the party during a three-day event at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
Progressive democrat Bernie Sanders was among the speakers on Sunday, the final day of the convention and used his chance on stage to take a not-so-veiled shot at Joe Biden, who did not attend the event.
"As you all know there is debate among presidential candidates who have spoken to you here in this room and those who have chosen - for whatever reason - not to be here in this room about the best way forward," Sanders told the crowd.
Biden, who leads the democratic race in recent polls, chose for forgo the convention to attend an LGBTQ gala in the key swing state of Ohio.
Some moderate leaning candidates did not did receive warm responses from delegates such as presidential hopeful John Delaney, who criticized a key proposal of the progressive democratic platform.
"Medicare for All may sound good but it's actually not good policy nor is it good politics," Delaney said to the crowd that booed his remarks.
Like Delaney, Biden is often referred to as a moderate, while his closest competitors, Senators Sanders, Warren & Harris are considered party progressives.
Warren, who promises tax hikes of the richest Americans and to zero out mounting student loans, ventured into Harris' turf of Oakland Friday where she held a rally a Laney College that drew an estimated 6,000 people.
"We will end lobbying as we know it. We'll make everyone who runs for office post their tax returns online," Warren told the delegates at the convention the next day.
Harris, who has pitched among other things a tax proposal that would provide $500 to families earning less than $100,000 a year, devoted part of her time on stage to attacking President Trump.
"He obstructed justice and then hired an Attorney General to clean up the crime scene," Harris said Saturday.
State party leaders don't see a problem with two vastly different sides that have blossomed within the Democratic Party over the years and was plainly evident at the convention.
I don't look at it as a fracture, I look at it as a plethora of choices that we have," said Roger Salazar, spokesperson CA Democratic Convention. "There isn't a single person speaking that we wouldn't want to have as president than the person in the White House right now."
Convention officials said they had a record turn-out with more than 3,400 delegates credentialed to attend.
California has moved up its primaries to March from June and will now be part of "Super Tuesday", which means the state will play a bigger role in the outcome of the democratic primaries
President Trump is schedule to announce his election bid at a rally in Orlando on June 18th.
The California Republican Party convention will be held in September in the Riverside County City of Indian Wells.