Hillary Clinton becomes first woman in history nominated for president at DNC
PHILADELPHIA (WLS) -- Hillary Clinton became the first woman in history to be nominated by a major party for president during a roll call vote on the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
Casting 10 votes for Bernie Sanders and 15 votes for Hillary Clinton, the South Dakota delegation pushed the former Secretary of State past the magic number of 2,383 to formally become the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
WATCH: The moment Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination
After passing on their alphabetical turn, the Vermont delegation closed out the roll call vote by casting 22 votes for Sanders and 4 for Clinton. Immediately after, Sanders himself took the microphone to call for nomination for acclamation.
"I move that all votes cast by delegates be reflected in the official record, and I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee in the Democratic Party for president of the United States," Sanders said.
WATCH: Vermont roll call and Bernie Sanders' motion
Earlier Illinois delegates cast 74 votes for Sanders and 98 votes for Clinton. The Illinois votes for Clinton were cast by Betsy Ebeling, one of 10 childhood friends of Clinton's. Ebeling and Clinton became friends in Park Ridge, Ill., in sixth grade.
"Well, she and Bill have spent their lives serving the public and, as cheesy as that sounds, they've made it very honorable," Ebeling said.
Ebeling was joined by other former Park Ridge classmates who have stayed in contact with Clinton for more than 50 years.
"It's incredible, it's incredible. I think we always knew that she was very special, everybody knew that, but this is just beyond our dreams," said delegate and friend Patsy Bowles.
Moments later, Indiana delegates cast 43 votes for Sanders and 48 votes for Clinton, and added a little zinger for GOP nominees Donald Trump and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as well.
"On this episode of the Apprentice we can say last week they conspired, but their ideas misfired. Their bigotry is tired, their attacks are uninspired, so Mike Pence and Donald Trump, you are officially fired," said Rep. Andre Carson, who announced the delegation's votes.
Addressing the Illinois delegation, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan put it in simple terms.
"We can have a con man or we can have a competent woman as our president," Madigan said.
Illinois' top female office holders also told delegates the race is about much more than gender so there's no need to oversell the obvious.
"You can't hide from the fact that Hillary Clinton is a woman," Madigan said.
"I'm not sure that Hillary wants to make it the thing," said Rep. Jan Schakowsky.
Monday night, two female speakers - First Lady Michelle Obama and Senator Elizabeth Warren - took up most of the convention's primetime hour.
"Because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States," Michelle Obama said.
The prominence of two women was not a big deal for many younger voters.
"My generation takes it for granted a little bit," says Devin O'Banion.
Yale-bound Whitney Young High School graduate O'Banion said he's always had female as well as male role models.
"So to see a woman about to assume the office of president really isn't anything I'd think twice about," he said.
But fathers like State Treasurer Mike Freirichs said it's a big deal.
"It's something that's important to me as a father with a 7-year-old daughter, that she's able to look up and see that she can be anything she wants to in her life," Freirichs said.
With women estimated to be 53 percent of American voters many Democrats believe their nominee's gender could be her trump card.
"I think we're going to get a lot who see her as being on their side," said Shakowsky.
SUPPORTERS IN CHICAGO, PARK RIDGE REACT TO NOMINATION
Clinton supporters gathered for a roll call watch party at a River North restaurant.
"It's emotional but it's also such a great moment that I'm alive to experience this," said Susana Mendoza, candidate for Illinois Comptroller and Hillary supporters.
"Being African American, first Is always very important to us. I think this, again, is breaking the glass ceiling and of course it sets a new standard for America," said Kevin Bulger.
In Clinton's hometown of Park Ridge there are high expectations.
"I know we women are very powerful and we can transform the world, we can transform our country. I think women can do anything. If we put our minds, our hearts to it we can do anything. Even become president of the United States," said one woman.
BIG NAME STARS ON DNC DAY TWO
Tuesday's keynote speaker was former president Bill Clinton. He spoke at length about his relationship with Hillary, how they met in law school and the multiple times he proposed to her.
"I said I really want to you marry me but you shouldn't do it," recalled Bill. "She smiled and looked at me like what is this boy up to. She said 'that's not a very good sale pitch.'"
He also recalled the final, successful attempt to get her to agree to marry him, which hinged upon a little house she admired.
"Hillary commented on what a uniquely designed and beautiful house it was," he said. "So I took a big chance. I bought the house. My mortgage was $175 a month. When she came back being I picked her up and said remember that house you liked? She said yeah, I said, 'While you were gone, I bought it, you have to marry me now.' The third time was the charm. We were married in that little house on October 11, 1975. I married my best friend."
He spoke of her as a wife and mother, as well as a tireless advocate for children and families and, eventually, as a politician in her own right.
The Mothers of the Movement, a group of women who have lost their children to violence, took the stage early Tuesday evening. The group includes Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Gardner; Lucia McBath, mother of Jordan Davis; Maria Hamilton, mother of Dontre Hamilton; Geneva Reed-Veal, mother of Sandra Bland; Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin; Leslie McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown; and Cleopatra Pendleton-Cowley, mother of Hadiya Pendleton.
WATCH: The Mothers of the Movement share their stories at the DNC
Pendleton was 15 years old when she was killed on Chicago's South Side just a week after she participated in activities surrounding President Obama's second inauguration.
"For me, that mother's cry, I hear that every time a news story is announced," Pendleton-Cowley said. "I hear that mother and the terror that's in her voice. I know what that felt like."
Maria Hamilton's son Dontre was killed in a Milwaukee part, shot 14 times by a white police officer. The officer was not charged, claiming self-defense.
"People, take the blinders off and realize there is a problem in America with the taking of human life and we want it to stop," she said.
"It's not for a political purpose. It may be a political issue by default, but this is a for-real issue, one that we live with every day and on that we try to protect everyone else from," said Pendleton-Cowley.
Good Morning America's Robin Roberts sat down with them for an honest conversation.
SANDERS SPEAKS, EARNS PRAISE BEFORE ROLL CALL VOTE
Sanders made a surprise appearance at the New York delegation breakfast to urge his supporters to join other Democrats and come together behind Clinton to oppose Donald Trump, who Sanders calls "the worst Republican candidate" in recent U.S. history.
"You start with Mexicans and Latinos, go to Muslims and you attack women. And you are a birther, trying to undermine the legitimacy of the first African American president we have ever elected. That type of mentality does not and will not see the inside of the Oval Office," he said.
Vice President Joe Biden was in the convention hall earlier for his walk-through and soundcheck as he prepares to speak on Wednesday. Biden told a group he's confident Sanders supporters will be in the Hillary camp by November.
"I wish we could put something on every Sanders delegate walking into a booth. If we were able to find out, I'd bet you everything I have that hardly anyone is going to pull a lever for Trump. Come on, man. You're kidding me," Biden said.
But Biden also had words of praise and respect for Sanders and his delegates.
"You know, we have to be a little graceful here. The senator's delegates worked their tail off, and they're here in large numbers. They get a chance, man. Give them a chance to-I promise you, they're going to be fine," he said.
The roll call vote happens on the floor Tuesday. While largely a technicality with Clinton is set to be nominated, for Sanders supporters, it's symbolic - a point to be counted.
The Democrats' main foe, Donald Trump, mounted fresh attacks in North Carolina Tuesday.
"ISIS: the word you did not hear last night at the convention. You did not hear it. They don't want to talk about it," Trump said.
