Former Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa says party unity will build at DNC
PHILADELPHIA (KABC) -- Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said party unity will build throughout the rest of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
Speaking at a breakfast event on the third day of convention, Villaraigosa said the outbursts of protests, largely from Bernie Sanders supporters, are dying down.
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"People were upset about those DNC emails and had every right to be," he said. "I think you see the building support for her and certainly the gesture of Bernie Sanders casting his vote for Vermont on behalf of Hillary tended to calm things down."
Villaraigosa said former President Bill Clinton's speech on Tuesday night shed new light about Hillary Clinton.
"Bill Clinton spoke from the heart... spoke about Hillary as a mother and a wife, in ways that I don't think we've heard publicly before," Villaraigosa said.
The former mayor said Hillary Clinton's big goal will have to be convincing the American people that she is the right person for the job, she has proven leadership, and that she is indeed the "change maker" that Bill Clinton spoke about in his speech.
Villaraigosa also hinted at the possibility that he would run for California governor.
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"When I left the mayor's job, I said I'm riding into the sunset but I will be back. So figure that in November, you'll be hearing an announcement about that," he said.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis also spoke to Eyewitness News during the breakfast event. She said she never expected to see a woman nominated for president in her lifetime.
"Now, the reality has come. We nominated Hillary Clinton last night. Now we have to seal the deal," Solis said. "Fifty-two percent of the population are women. It is our time. It is time to close the wage gap. It's time to treat women fairly."
When asked about the biggest public misconception of Hillary Clinton, Solis described her as "very personable," saying she has spent a lot of time working with her on such issues as healthcare, environment, human trafficking and child labor.
"She's a humanist. She's a hard worker. She's not one to brag. She's one to get the job done. She is a doer," Solis said.
As the convention continues, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are expected to speak on Wednesday.
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With his last State of the Union address behind him, Obama's speech in Philadelphia will be one of his final opportunities to define and defend his tenure with a massive audience watching. Tens of millions have been tuning in to the conventions in primetime this year.
Democrats are hoping that Obama is uniquely positioned to persuade wary voters that Clinton is right for the job and to vouch for the trustworthiness of a nominee most voters say they still don't trust.
White House officials have described him as a "convert" to Clinton's cause who, after fighting her bitterly in the 2008 Democratic primary, saw her abilities firsthand when he picked her as secretary of state.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
