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It's Official: Clinton Makes History For Democrats As CT Splits Its Votes

Hillary Clinton was formally nominated as the Democratic nominee for president just before 7 p.m. Tuesday on the second day of the party's national convention in Philadelphia, becoming the first female candidate to represent a major political party in U.S. history.

State Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman cast Connecticut's votes at Tuesday night's Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

State Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman cast Connecticut's votes at Tuesday night's Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Photo Credit: C-SPAN Screenshot
Hillary Clinton gained the Democratic Party's official nomination as the presidential candidate Tuesday night.

Hillary Clinton gained the Democratic Party's official nomination as the presidential candidate Tuesday night.

Photo Credit: Hillary Clinton Via Twitter @HillaryClinton

In a show of unity, Clinton's challenger, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, ended the roll-call vote by making a motion that Clinton be declared the nominee in a voice vote. Clinton did the same thing in 2008 when Barack Obama was nominated in an attempt to show unity after their own bitter primary.

As the roll call vote was held in the early evening, Connecticut cast its 71 votes between Colorado and Delaware. 

Those 71 votes were divided between Clinton, who narrowly won the April primary in the Nutmeg State with 51.8 percent of the vote, and Sanders, who also had a strong showing at 46.4 percent. 

The delegate split that night was 28 to 27 in Clinton's favor, but she also picked up all 16 of the state's superdelegates. 

"Madam Secretary, Connecticut, the Constitution State, with a Democratic governor, and as the country has seen through the last few weeks, a walkout, a sit-in, and a filibuster, we have the most aggressive and progressive delegation in the congress," state Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto said in introducing Connecticut and paying tribute to the congressional efforts to fight for gun control at the national level. 

"We are the college home of the former and next president of the United States, but most importantly the home of the pizza and the hamburger," he said, referring to Yale, where Hillary and Bill Clinton met during law school. 

Balletto, in a yellow tie, then turned the microphone over to Lt. Gov Nancy Wyman, also clad in bright yellow. 

Wyman hailed the state’s passage of the $10.10 minimum wage and successful implementation of Obamacare.

Wyman then cast 44 votes for Clinton and 27 votes for Sanders. Gov. Dannel Malloy, who addressed the convention on Monday evening, had been slated to cast the vote. But he turned the task over to Wyman, according to the Connecticut Mirror

The superdelegates for Connecticut are: Malloy, Wyman, Balletto, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Chris Murphy, Rep. John Larson, Rep. Joe Courtney, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Rep. Jim Himes, Rep. Elizabeth Esty, Party Vice Chair Nancy DiNardo, DNC Member Dot Mrowka, DNC Member Mike Cacace, DNC Member John Olsen, Former DNC Chair and former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd and National Federation of Democratic Women President Joanne Sullivan.

The convention began Monday amid loud displays of rancor by Sanders supporters, but as Monday's evening proceedings progressed, a speech by First Lady Michelle Obama brought cheers and applause from both Clinton and Sanders supporters.

Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, was scheduled to speak at the convention later Tuesday night. Hillary Clinton is at the family home in Chappaqua, N.Y., watching the convention on television and putting final touches on her acceptance speech, which will be delivered Thursday evening to end the convention.

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