2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Contents of leak, Bernie Sanders' campaign
In the emails, DNC staffers derided the Sanders campaign. The Washington Post reported: "Many of the most damaging emails suggest the committee was actively trying to undermine Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Contents of leak, Bernie Sanders' campaign
In a May 2016 email chain, the DNC chief financial officer (CFO) Brad Marshall told the DNC chief executive officer, Amy Dacey, that they should have someone from the media ask Sanders if he is an atheist prior to the West Virginia primary.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Contents of leak, Bernie Sanders' campaign
On May 21, 2016, DNC National Press Secretary Mark Paustenbach sent an email to DNC Spokesman Luis Miranda mentioning a controversy that ensued in December 2015, when the National Data Director of the Sanders campaign and three subordinate staffers accessed the Clinton campaign's voter information on the NGP VAN database. (The party accused Sanders' campaign of impropriety and briefly limited its access to the  database. The Sanders campaign filed suit for breach of contract against the DNC, but  dropped the suit on April 29, 2016.)


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Contents of leak, Bernie Sanders' campaign
Paustenbach suggested that the incident could be used to promote a "narrative for a story, which is that Bernie never had his act together, that his campaign was a mess." The DNC rejected this suggestion. The Washington Post wrote: "Paustenbach's suggestion, in that way, could be read as a defense of the committee rather than pushing negative information about Sanders. But this is still the committee pushing negative information about one of its candidates."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Contents of leak, Debbie Wasserman Schultz's emails
Following the Nevada Democratic convention, Debbie Wasserman Schultz wrote about Jeff Weaver, manager of Bernie Sanders' campaign: "Damn liar. Particularly scummy that he barely acknowledges the violent and threatening behavior that occurred". In another email, Wasserman Schultz said of Bernie Sanders, "He isn't going to be president." Other emails showed her stating that Sanders doesn't understand the Democratic Party.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Contents of leak, Debbie Wasserman Schultz's emails
In May 2016, MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski accused the DNC of bias against the Sanders campaign and called on Wasserman Schultz to step down. Wasserman Schultz was upset at the negative media coverage of her actions, and she emailed the political director of NBC News, Chuck Todd, that such coverage of her "must stop". Describing the coverage as the "LAST straw", she ordered the DNC's communications director to call MSNBC president Phil Griffin to demand an apology from Brzezinski.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Contents of leak, Financial and donor information
According to The New York Times, the cache included "thousands of emails exchanged by Democratic officials and party fund-raisers, revealing in rarely seen detail the elaborate, ingratiating and often bluntly transactional exchanges necessary to harvest hundreds of millions of dollars from the party's wealthy donor class. The emails capture a world where seating charts are arranged with dollar totals in mind, where a White House celebration of gay pride is a thinly disguised occasion for rewarding wealthy donors and where physical proximity to the president is the most precious of currencies." As is common in national politics, large party donors "were the subject of entire dossiers, as fund-raisers tried to gauge their interests, annoyances and passions."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Contents of leak, Financial and donor information
In a series of email exchanges in April and May 2016, DNC fundraising staff discussed and compiled a list of people (mainly donors) who might be appointed to federal boards and commissions. Center for Responsive Politics senior fellow Bob Biersack noted that this is a longstanding practice in the United States: "Big donors have always risen to the top of lists for appointment to plum ambassadorships and other boards and commissions around the federal landscape."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Contents of leak, Financial and donor information
The White House denied that financial support for the party was connected to board appointments, saying: "Being a donor does not get you a role in this administration, nor does it preclude you from getting one. We've said this for many years now and there's nothing in the emails that have been released that contradicts that."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Contents of leak, France
In 2011, France, under President Nicolas Sarkozy, led calls for international intervention in the Libyan Civil War, voted in favor of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 and, subsequently, dispatched the French Air Force into direct military action in Libya in support of the National Transitional Council. At the time, France said  the move was to protect Libyan civilians.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Contents of leak, France
But in a private email from Sidney Blumenthal to Hillary Clinton – revealed as part of the 2016 Democratic National Committee email leak – Blumenthal claimed France was more concerned with Libya's large gold reserves, which might pose a threat to the value of the Central African Franc, thereby weakening French influence in Africa, and that Sarkozy was interested in increased access to Libyan oil.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Contents of leak, France
Former French diplomat Patrick Haimzadeh called Blumenthal's analysis, while it reflected a popular theory on conspiracy websites, "not credible" because "the timeline just doesn't add up" with Sarkozy's decision to intervene preceding knowledge of Gaddafi's plans. French investigative journalist Fabrice Arfi dismissed Blumenthal's claim as "far-fetched," while also acknowledging that even U.S. intelligence did not find France's publicly stated motivations for the Libya intervention to be entirely credible either.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Perpetrators, Cybersecurity analysis
A self-styled hacker going by the moniker "Guccifer 2.0" claimed to be the source of the leaks; WikiLeaks did not reveal its source. Cybersecurity experts and firms, including CrowdStrike, Fidelis Cybersecurity, Mandiant, SecureWorks, and ThreatConnect, and the editor for Ars Technica, stated the leak was part of a series of cyberattacks on the DNC committed by two Russian intelligence groups. U.S. intelligence agencies also stated (with "high confidence") that the Russian government was behind the theft of emails and documents from the DNC, according to reports in The New York Times and The Washington Post.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Perpetrators, Cybersecurity analysis
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange initially stuck to WikiLeaks policy of neither confirming or denying sources but in January 2017 said that their "source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party", and the Russian government said it had no involvement.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Perpetrators, Cybersecurity analysis
Comey testified that the FBI requested, but did not receive, physical access to the DNC servers. According to Comey, the FBI did obtain copies of the servers and all the information on them, as well as access to forensics from CrowdStrike, a third-party cybersecurity company that reviewed the DNC servers. Comey said that access through Crowdstrike was an "appropriate substitute" and called the firm a "highly respected private company."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Perpetrators, United States intelligence conclusions
On October 7, 2016, the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence stated that the US intelligence community was "confident" that the Russian government directed the breaches and the release of the obtained or allegedly obtained material in an attempt to "... interfere with the US election process."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Perpetrators, United States intelligence conclusions
The U.S. Intelligence Community tasked resources debating why Putin chose summer 2016 to escalate active measures influencing U.S. politics. Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper said after the 2011–13 Russian protests, Putin's confidence in his viability as a politician was damaged, and Putin responded with the propaganda operation. Former CIA officer Patrick Skinner explained the goal was to spread uncertainty. U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff, Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, commented on Putin's aims, and said U.S. intelligence agencies were concerned with Russian propaganda. Speaking about disinformation that appeared in Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland, Schiff said there was an increase of the same behavior in the U.S. Schiff concluded Russian propaganda operations would continue against the U.S. after the election.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Perpetrators, United States intelligence conclusions
On December 9, 2016, the CIA told U.S. legislators the U.S. Intelligence Community concluded Russia conducted operations during the 2016 U.S. election to assist Donald Trump in winning the presidency. Multiple U.S intelligence agencies concluded people with direct ties to the Kremlin gave WikiLeaks hacked emails from the DNC and additional sources such as John Podesta, campaign chairman for Hillary Clinton. These intelligence organizations additionally concluded Russia attempted to hack the Republican National Committee (RNC) as well as the DNC but were prevented by security defenses on the RNC network.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Perpetrators, United States intelligence conclusions
In December 2016, the CIA said the foreign intelligence agents were Russian operatives previously known to the U.S. CIA officials told U.S. Senators it was "quite clear" Russia's intentions were to help Trump. Trump released a statement December 9, and disregarded the CIA conclusions.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Perpetrators, United States intelligence conclusions
In June 2017, former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, who was appointed by and served under President Barack Obama, testified before a House Select committee that his department offered their assistance to the DNC during the campaign to determine what happened to their server, but said his efforts were "rebuffed" because the Department of Homeland Security was offering to provide assistance months after the FBI had provided assistance.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Perpetrators, United States intelligence conclusions
Throughout late 2017 into early 2018, numerous individuals gave testimonies to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) who were charged with carrying out an investigation into the series of cyberattacks.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Perpetrators, Steele dossier allegations
The Steele dossier, written in late 2016, contains several allegations related to the hacking and leaking of the emails. The individuals named have denied the allegations.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Perpetrators, Steele dossier allegations
Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations, labeling the dossier as "discredited", "debunked", "fictitious", and "fake news". Paul Manafort has "denied taking part in any collusion with the Russian state, but registered himself as a foreign agent retroactively after it was revealed his firm received more than $17m working as a lobbyist for a pro-Russian Ukrainian party." Cohen has also denied the allegations against him. Page originally denied meeting any Russian officials, but his later testimony, acknowledging that he had met with senior Russian officials at Rosneft, has been interpreted as appearing to corroborate portions of the dossier.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Perpetrators, Steele dossier allegations
In his February 2019 testimony before Congress, Cohen implicated Trump, writing that Trump had knowledge that Roger Stone was communicating with Wikileaks about releasing emails stolen from the DNC in 2016.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Reactions
On July 18, 2016, Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for Russian president Vladimir Putin, stated that the Russian government had no involvement in the DNC hacking incident. Peskov called it "paranoid" and "absurd", saying: "We are again seeing these maniacal attempts to exploit the Russian theme in the US election campaign." That position was later reiterated by the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, which called the allegation "entirely unrealistic".


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Reactions
Then Republican nominee Donald Trump said on Twitter: "Leaked e-mails of DNC show plans to destroy Bernie Sanders. Mock his heritage and much more. On-line from Wikileakes  [sic], really vicious. RIGGED."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Reactions
The leak fueled tensions going into the 2016 Democratic National Convention: although DNC operatives initially denied accusations of bias, Sanders operatives and multiple media commentators cited the leaks as clear evidence that the DNC had been favoring Clinton and undermining Sanders. Several media commentators have disputed the significance of the emails, arguing that the DNC's internal preference for Clinton was not historically unusual and was unlikely to have swayed the final outcome of the primary; whereas many of Sanders' supporters viewed the revelations as symptomatic of an entrenched, unethical political establishment.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Reactions
On July 24, 2016, Sanders urged Wasserman Schultz to resign following the leak and stated that he was "disappointed" by the leak, but that he was "not shocked." Jeff Weaver, Bernie Sanders' campaign manager, called for greater accountability in the DNC, calling Wasserman Schultz "a figure of disunity" within the Democratic Party. Later the same day, Wasserman Schultz resigned from her position as DNC Chairman, effective as of the end of the nominating convention. After Wasserman Schultz resigned, Sanders said that she had "made the right decision for the future of the Democratic Party."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Reactions
On the following day, the DNC apologized to Bernie Sanders and his supporters, stating, "On behalf of everyone at the DNC, we want to offer a deep and sincere apology to Senator Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic Party for the inexcusable remarks made over email," and that the emails did not reflect the DNC's "steadfast commitment to neutrality during the nominating process." On July 24, 2016, in an interview with NPR, former DNC Chair and current Governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe said "... that the chair's job should be "to remain neutral."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Reactions
"I sat in that chair in 2004 trying to navigate all the different candidates we had. But if you had people in there who were trashing one of the candidates, I can tell you this, if I were still chairman they wouldn't be working there. I mean, that is just totally unacceptable behavior."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Reactions
On July 25, 2016, Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter for the BBC, commented that "the revelation that those in the heart of the Democratic establishment sought to undermine the anti-establishment Sanders is roughly on a par with [Casablanca character] police Capt Renault's professed shock that gambling was taking place in the Casablanca club he was raiding, as a waiter hands him his winnings."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Reactions
On July 25, 2016, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus said that "Today's events show really what an uphill climb the Democrats are facing this week in unifying their party. Starting out the week by losing your party chairman over longstanding bitterness between factions is no way to keep something together."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Reactions
After the emails were released, the Australian diplomat Alexander Downer informed the U.S. government that, in May 2016 at a London wine bar, Trump campaign staffer George Papadopoulos had told him that the Russian government had a large trove of Hillary Clinton emails that could potentially damage her presidential campaign. The FBI started a counterintelligence investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Reactions
On October 14, 2016, NBC News reported that multiple sources were telling them that Barack Obama had ordered the CIA to present him with options for a retaliatory cyber attack against the Russian Federation for allegedly interfering in the US presidential election. Sources said that this is not the first time the CIA has presented such options to a president, but that on all previous occasions the decision was made not to carry out the proposed attacks.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Media coverage and public perception
On July 27, 2016, The New York Times reported that Julian Assange, in an interview on British ITV on June 12, 2016, had "made it clear that he hoped to harm Hillary Clinton's chances of winning the presidency", and that in a later interview on the program Democracy Now! on July 25, 2016, the first day of the Democratic National Convention, he acknowledged that "he had timed their release to coincide with the Democratic convention." In an interview with CNN, Assange would neither confirm nor deny who WikiLeaks' sources were; he claimed that his website "... might release "a lot more material" relevant to the US electoral campaign ..."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Media coverage and public perception
Following the publication of the stolen emails, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden criticized WikiLeaks for its wholesale leakage of data, writing that "their hostility to even modest curation is a mistake." The Washington Post contrasted the difference between WikiLeaks' practices and Snowden's disclosure of information about NSA: while Snowden worked with journalists to vet documents (withholding some where it would endanger national security), WikiLeaks' "more radical" approach involves the dumping of "massive, searchable caches online with few—if any—apparent efforts to remove sensitive personal information."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Media coverage and public perception
On July 25, 2016, Anne Applebaum, columnist for The Washington Post, wrote that:


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Media coverage and public perception
... with the exception of a few people on Twitter and a handful of print journalists, most of those covering this story, especially on television, are not interested in the nature of the hackers, and they are not asking why the Russians apparently chose to pass the emails on to WikiLeaks at this particular moment, on the eve of the Democratic National Convention. They are focusing instead on the content of what were meant to be private emails ...


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Media coverage and public perception
She went on to describe in detail other Russian destabilization campaigns in Eastern European countries.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Media coverage and public perception
On July 25, 2016, Thomas Rid, Professor in Security Studies at King's College, London, and non-resident fellow at the School for Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, in Washington, DC, summed up the evidence pointing to Russia being behind the hacking of the DNC files and the "Guccifer-branded leaking operation". He concludes that these actions successfully blunted the "DNC's ability to use its opposition research in surprise against Trump ..." He further writes that data exfiltration from political organizations is done by many countries and is considered to be a legitimate form of intelligence work. "But digitally exfiltrating and then publishing possibly manipulated documents disguised as freewheeling hacktivism is crossing a big red line and setting a dangerous precedent: an authoritarian country directly yet covertly trying to sabotage an American election."


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Media coverage and public perception
Russian security expert and investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov said "It is almost impossible to know for sure whether or not Russia is behind a hack of the DNC's servers". According to him, one of the reasons Russia would try to sway the US presidential election is that the Russian government considers Clinton "a hater of Russia": "There is this mentality in Russia of being besieged; that it is always under attack from the United States ... They are trying to interfere in our internal affairs so why not try to do the same thing to them?"


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Civil DNC lawsuit
On April 20, 2018, the Democratic National Committee filed a civil lawsuit in federal court in New York, accusing the Russian government, the Trump campaign, Wikileaks, and others of conspiracy to alter the course of the 2016 presidential election and asking for monetary damages and a declaration admitting guilt. A hearing on the defendants' motions to dismiss was scheduled for May 17, 2018. In July 2019, the suit was dismissed with prejudice.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Civil DNC lawsuit
In his judgement, federal judge John Koeltl said that although he believed the Russian government was involved in the hacking, US federal law generally prohibited suits against foreign governments. The judge said the other defendants, "did not participate in any wrongdoing in obtaining the materials in the first place" and were therefore within the law in publishing the information.


2016 Democratic National Committee email leak, Civil DNC lawsuit
He also said that the DNC's argument was "entirely divorced from the facts" and even if the Russians had directly provided the hacked documents to the Trump team, it would not be criminal for the campaign to publish those documents, as long as they did not contribute to the hacking itself. Koeltl denied the defendants motion for sanctions, but dismissed the suit with prejudice, meaning it had a substantive legal defect and could not be refiled.


2016 Democratic National Convention
The 2016 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention, held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 25 to 28, 2016. The convention gathered delegates of the Democratic Party, the majority of them elected through a preceding series of primaries and caucuses, to nominate a candidate for president and vice president in the 2016 United States presidential election.


2016 Democratic National Convention
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was chosen as the party's nominee for president by a 54% majority of delegates present at the convention roll call, defeating primary rival Senator Bernie Sanders, who received 46% of votes from delegates, and becoming the first female candidate to be formally nominated for president by a major political party in the United States. Her running mate, Senator Tim Kaine from Virginia, was confirmed by delegates as the party's nominee for vice president by acclamation.


2016 Democratic National Convention
Delegates at the convention also adopted a party platform, through a voice vote, to take to the 2016 elections, touted as the "most progressive" platform in the Democratic Party's history. The progressive shift was often credited to Sanders and the influence of platform-committee members appointed by him. The platform featured a focus on economic issues, such as Wall Street reform, stronger financial regulation, and raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Liberal stances on social issues, such as a call for criminal justice reform and an end to private prisons, expansion of Social Security, and the abolition of the death penalty, also feature in the platform.


2016 Democratic National Convention
Senator Elizabeth Warren delivered the keynote address of the convention, with First Lady Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders serving as headlining speakers on the first day. Former President Bill Clinton served as headlining speaker on the convention's second day, while Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama headlined on day three. Tim Kaine gave his vice presidential nomination acceptance speech on the third day of the convention, while Chelsea Clinton introduced Hillary Clinton to give her presidential nomination acceptance speech on the final day.


2016 Democratic National Convention
Clinton's speech was generally well received, and she would go on to have a 7% convention bounce in national polling. Various performers also appeared during the convention, including Demi Lovato, Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz and Katy Perry. Overall attendance at the convention was estimated to be around 50,000, according to Anna Adams-Sarthou, a representative of the DNC Host Committee.


2016 Democratic National Convention
The convention was not without controversy, as it was subject to various conflicts between supporters of the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders and the Democratic Party. In the week prior to the convention, various emails from the Democratic National Committee, the governing body of the Democratic Party, were leaked and published, showing bias against the Sanders' campaign on the part of the Committee and its chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Schultz subsequently resigned as chair of the Committee, and thus as chair of the Democratic National Convention, with Congresswoman Marcia Fudge taking up the role of Convention chair. Some delegates in support of Sanders staged protests both outside and on the floor of the convention, opposing the nomination of Clinton and Kaine as the party's nominees for president and vice president, respectively.


2016 Democratic National Convention
Clinton and Kaine would go on to win the popular vote in the general election, but ultimately lost the election to the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and his running mate Mike Pence in the electoral college.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Background
In 2016, the Republican and Democratic conventions were held in late July before the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, instead of after the Olympics as in 2008 and 2012. One reason why the Republican Party scheduled its convention in July was to help avoid a longer, drawn-out primary battle (as in 2012). The Democrats then followed suit, scheduling their convention the week after the Republicans' convention, to provide a quicker response.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
The formal bid process was initiated when, in February 2014, the Democratic National Committee sent out letters inquiring into the interest of a number of cities in hosting the 2016 convention. The cities were reported by CNN to have received these letters were Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, El Paso, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City, Oakland, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, and Tampa.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
In the spring of 2014, the Democratic National Committee sent requests for proposal inviting fifteen cities to bid for the convention. The fifteen cities sent requests for proposals were Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Miami, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and Salt Lake City.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
Cleveland withdrew its bid in July 2014, having already been selected as the site of the Republican National Convention.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
In November 2014, the Democratic National Committee named its three finalist cities, Columbus, New York City, and Philadelphia, thereby eliminating bids from Birmingham and Phoenix.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Background, Site selection
Philadelphia was selected as the host city on February 12, 2015. The primary venue for the convention would be the Wells Fargo Center, while the Pennsylvania Convention Center was also be utilized. The last convention held in Philadelphia was the 2000 Republican National Convention, and the last time the city had hosted the Democratic Convention was in 1948. Edward G. Rendell, the former mayor of Philadelphia and governor of Pennsylvania, played a crucial role in securing Philadelphia as the host city.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Background, Host Committee
The 2016 Philadelphia Host Committee, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, was the official and federally designated presidential convention host committee for the convention, charged with the task of raising the necessary funds to hold the convention. The Host Committee was composed of 10 prominent Philadelphia business executives, civic and other community leaders. The Reverend Leah Daughtry was the CEO.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Background, Email leak
A cache of more than 19,000 e-mails was leaked on July 22, 2016. This caused Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign. Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, timed the release of the e-mails to occur shortly before the Democratic convention in hopes of maximizing its impact.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Background, Email leak
U.S. Intelligence agents have identified the Russian government as potentially responsible for the hack of the DNC that led to the leaks, and the U.S. intelligence agencies have "high confidence" that the Russian government was behind the theft.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Background, Planned demonstrations
By May 19, 2016, five organized groups of Sanders supporters had applied for demonstration permits from the Philadelphia police department. A joint rally between the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign and the Green Party of the United States was denied a protest permit, but both groups planned to go ahead with their protest regardless. The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, the Green Party, and other groups obtained permits for their demonstrations on July 7 after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit that resulted in the city lifting its ban on rush-hour protests during the DNC.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Background, Planned demonstrations
On July 12, Philadelphia International Airport workers of the SEIU 32BJ union voted, 461–5, in favor of striking during the DNC in order to seek "better scheduling, clarity on sick pay, a more predictable disciplinary system, and to be able to unionize". However, on July 22, the union and American Airlines reached an agreement, and the planned strike was called off.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Background, Planned demonstrations
The city of Philadelphia expected 35,000 to 50,000 protesters throughout the convention.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Nomination and balloting, Pre-convention delegate count
The table below reflects the presumed delegate count following the 2016 Democratic primaries:


2016 Democratic National Convention, Nomination and balloting, Presidential ballot
The Democratic presidential ballot was held on July 26, with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore presiding over the roll call of states. Senator Barbara Mikulski, the longest-serving woman in the history of Congress, nominated Clinton. Congressman John Lewis and professor Na'ilah Amaru seconded the nomination. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard nominated Sanders, with Paul Feeney, the Massachusetts State Director for the Sanders campaign, and Shyla Nelson, a spokeswoman for Election Justice USA, seconding the nomination. During the roll call, several state delegations lauded the accomplishments of both Clinton and Sanders.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Nomination and balloting, Presidential ballot
After all states had voted, Sanders stated, "I move that the convention suspend the procedural rules. I move that all votes, all votes cast by delegates be reflected in the official record, and I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee of the Democratic Party for president of the United States." Clinton had made a similar motion during the 2008 convention roll call; however, Sanders (unlike Clinton in 2008) did not move to nominate Clinton by acclamation. Clinton became the first woman to be nominated for president by a major U.S. political party.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Nomination and balloting, Vice presidential nomination
Clinton had announced her selection of Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her running mate on July 22. Some Sanders supporters had discussed the possibility of challenging Kaine's nomination, but Kaine was nominated by acclamation on the third day of the convention. Kaine became the first Virginia native since Woodrow Wilson to be on a major party's ticket. Speculations on who Clinton would pick ranged from Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren to Secretary of Labor Tom Perez.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Drafting process
The Platform Committee was co-chaired by former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin and Connecticut governor Dannel P. Malloy. The four vice chairs are Nellie Gorbea of Rhode Island, the Rev. Cynthia Hale of Georgia, San Francisco mayor Ed Lee, and Greg Rosenbaum.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Drafting process
Prior to the meeting of the full Platform Drafting Committee, eight meetings in four regions (Mid-Atlantic, Southwest, Midwest, and Southeast) were held: a forum with testimony in Washington, D.C. on June 8 and 9; a forum with testimony in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 17 and 18; a drafting committee meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 24 and 25; and a platform committee meeting in Orlando, Florida, on July 8 and 9.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Drafting process
The Drafting Committee heard testimony from 114 witnesses across the United States, and an additional "1,000 Democrats submitted written or video testimony weighing in on the platform". The drafting committee concluded its work on June 25, sending the draft platform to the full platform committee.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Drafting process
The Drafting Committee consisted of fifteen members. Under party rules, the chair of the Democratic National Committee had the power to name all fifteen members of the Drafting Committee, which has typically been done in the past in consultation with the White House (if a Democratic president is sitting) and the presumptive nominee. In 2016, however, DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz opted "to allocate 75% of the committee's seats to the presidential campaigns, awarding the slots proportionally according to the current vote tally" in a bid for wider representation of party members.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Drafting process
As a result, Clinton appointed six members to the committee, Sanders five, and Wasserman Schultz four. This was the outcome of an agreement among the Bernie Sanders campaign, the Hillary Clinton campaign, and party officials, and was viewed as a victory for Sanders, who gained some influence on the party platform as result.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Drafting process
The drafting committee members, named in May 2016, were as follows:


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Drafting process
The Clinton Campaign's Senior Policy Advisor Maya Harris and the Sanders Campaign's Policy Director Warren Gunnels represented their respective campaigns as official, non-voting members of the Drafting Committee. Andrew Grossman was named Platform Executive Director.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
The full Platform Committee approved the Democratic platform following heated debate in Orlando on July 10, 2016; the platform was formally approved at the convention itself in Philadelphia.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
The platform adopted by the platform committee was described by NBC News and by columnist Katrina vanden Heuvel as the most progressive in party history, largely reflecting the influence of platform-committee members appointed by Bernie Sanders. The platform committee-drafted platform was praised by both Hillary Clinton's campaign and Bernie Sanders' campaign, with Sanders policy director Warren Gunnells saying his campaign achieved "at least 80 percent" of its goals.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
Although Sanders could have chosen, under party rules, to force a vote on the convention floor using a "minority report" process, he decided not to do so, with Gunnells telling supporters that the campaign had successfully secured the adoption of many of its platform goals and "that further platform fights would be portrayed in the corporate media as obstructionist and divisive".


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
The platform expresses support for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and indexing it to inflation, a plank supported by Sanders. The adoption of this point was a boost for the Fight for $15 movement. The platform also calls for ending the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers and workers with disabilities, and for twelve weeks of paid family and medical leave.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
On health care, the platform committee adopted a provision supporting a public option for the Affordable Care Act and for legislation to allow Americans ages 55 and over to buy into Medicare. The platform committee voted down a more ambitious Medicare for All proposal supported by Sanders. The platform "repeats the Democratic Party pledge to empower Medicare to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs" and also calls for "doubling support for community health centers that provide primary health-care services, particularly in rural areas.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
The platform expresses support for Wall Street reform, the expansion of Social Security and the abolition of the death penalty, all points supported by Sanders.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
On financial regulation (Wall Street reform), the platform supports "a 21st-century Glass-Steagall Act to keep banks from gambling with taxpayer-guaranteed deposits", calls for the breakup of "too big to fail" financial institutions, and supports a tax on excessive speculation.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
The platform expresses support for criminal justice reform, calls for an end to private prisons, and reforms to boost police accountability to communities. The platform calls for shutting "the revolving door between Wall Street and Washington," calling for "a ban on golden parachutes for bankers taking government jobs, limits on conflict of interest, and a two-year ban on financial services regulators 'from lobbying their former colleagues.'"


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
On taxation, the platform pledges "tax relief" to middle-class families. The platform also calls for the end of overseas tax deferral and the carried interest tax loophole, as well as a crackdown on corporate inversions.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
On K–12 education, the party's platform was revised "in important ways, backing the right of parents to opt their children out of high-stakes standardized tests, qualifying support for charter schools, and opposing using test scores for high-stakes purposes to evaluate teachers and students." The platform calls for "democratically governed great neighborhood public schools and high-quality public charter schools," and opposes "for-profit charter schools focused on making a profit off of public resources".


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
On workers' rights, "the platform endorses expanding and defending the right of workers to organize unions and bargain collectively." The platform supports the ability of workers to organize via card check and "calls for a 'model employer' executive order that would give preference in government procurement to employers who provide their workers with a living wage, benefits and the opportunity to form a union."


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
The platform committee approved compromise language on the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), calling for increased federal, state and local regulation of the practice but not a wholesale ban, as Sanders had pushed for.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
The platform drafting committee twice voted down an amendment, supported by Sanders and advanced by one of his appointees,  Rep. Keith Ellison, to commit the party to opposing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. The committee instead backed a measure that said "there are a diversity of views in the party" on the TPP and reaffirmed that Democratic Party's stance that any trade deal "must protect workers and the environment".


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
In a close, 81–80 vote, the platform committee approved language supporting the removal of marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, "providing a reasoned pathway for future legalization" of marijuana.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
The platform maintains the Democratic Party's longstanding support for Israel, with DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz terming it the "strongest pro-Israel" platform in the party's history. The platform includes a provision condemning the BDS movement and calling for a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict "that guarantees Israel's future as a secure and democratic Jewish state with recognized borders and provides the Palestinians with independence, sovereignty, and dignity". Proposals for language that would have condemned settlements and called for an end to the Israeli occupation were rejected in the platform committee.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
On abortion, the platform states, "We believe unequivocally, like the majority of Americans, that every woman should have access to quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion—regardless of where she lives, how much money she makes, or how she is insured." It also promises action to overturn the Helms Amendment and the Hyde Amendment, and against efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. This marks the first time the Democratic platform has an explicit call to repeal the Hyde Amendment.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Platform, Platform provisions
The platform urges U.S. ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and supports passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, saying: "After 240 years, we will finally enshrine the rights of women in the Constitution."


2016 Democratic National Convention, Convention chair
On July 23, party officials announced that Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz would not preside over or speak at the convention. The announcement came after the leak of 20,000 emails by seven DNC staffers from January 2015 to May 2016, during the Democratic primary season. The emails showed the staffers favoring Clinton and disparaging Sanders. Wasserman Schultz's removal from convention activities was approved by both the Clinton and Sanders campaigns. In her place, the Rules Committee named Representative Marcia Fudge of Ohio as convention chair. Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post described this as "a remarkable snub for a sitting party chair".


2016 Democratic National Convention, Superdelegate reform
On July 24, the DNC Rules Committee voted overwhelmingly, 158–6, to adopt a superdelegate reform package. The new rules were the result of a compromise between the Clinton and the Sanders campaigns; in the past, Sanders had pressed for the complete elimination of superdelegates.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Superdelegate reform
Under the reform package, in future Democratic conventions about two-thirds of superdelegates would be bound to the results of state primaries and caucuses. The remaining one third—Democratic senators, Democratic governors and Democratic U.S. representatives—would remain unbound and free to support the candidate of their choice.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Superdelegate reform
Under the reform package, a 21-member unity commission, chaired by Clinton supporter Jennifer O'Malley Dillon and vice-chaired by Sanders supporter Larry Cohen, is to be appointed "no later than 60 days" after the November 2016 general election. The commission would report by January 1, 2018, and its recommendations would be voted on at the next Democratic National Committee meeting, well before the beginning of the 2020 Democratic primaries.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Superdelegate reform
The commission was to consider "a mix of Clinton and Sanders ideas, including expanding 'eligible voters' ability to participate in the caucuses in caucus states, a gripe of Clinton's campaign, and encouraging 'the involvement in all elections of unaffiliated or new voters who seek to join the Democratic Party through same-day registration and re-registration'", which is one of Sanders' demands. The commission drew comparisons to the McGovern–Fraser Commission, which established party primary reforms before the 1972 Democratic National Convention.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Schedule
Mayor of Baltimore Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the secretary of the Democratic National Committee, gaveled in the convention on the afternoon of July 25.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Schedule
According to C-SPAN data, 257 speakers addressed the convention from the podium over the course of the convention.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Schedule, List of speakers
Unlike previous conventions, sitting Cabinet members did not speak at the event; the White House decided that barring Cabinet officers from addressing the convention would "send a signal about the primacy of the Obama administration's responsibility to manage the government and serve the American people" and avoid legal or political difficulties.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Sarah Silverman
Can I just say, to the Bernie or Bust people: You're being ridiculous.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Sarah Silverman
Minnesota Senator Al Franken introduced fellow comedian Sarah Silverman, who is also a Bernie Sanders supporter. In her speech, she urged other Sanders supporters to back Hillary Clinton and later said that Bernie or Bust people "are being ridiculous". The Washington Post and Politico called this one of the most memorable moments of the night. The New York Times called her speech "the perfect breath of fresh air". Michael Grunwald of Politico coined the term "Silverman Democrats" for Sanders supporters who followed Sanders's advice to support Clinton in the general election.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
And 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.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
In her speech, First Lady Michelle Obama defended Hillary Clinton and urged Democrats to vote for Hillary, focusing on Clinton's role as a woman and a mother. Obama alluded to Donald Trump's actions as reasons to vote for Clinton,while attempting to heal the fractures within the party. Referencing her experience as a black woman in the White House, she said that although she lives in a "house that was built by slaves," seeing her children play on the White House lawn fills her with hope. She said: "Don't let anyone ever tell you that this country is not great. That somehow we need to make it great again. Because this right now is the greatest country on Earth."


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
One of the more memorable lines from Obama's speech was the motto she expressed, "when they go low, we go high", which developed into a political catchphrase.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michelle Obama
The Atlantic described the speech as the best of the night and called it a speech "for the ages", a qualification echoed in other publications. David Smith of The Guardian called it a "profound, moving and devastating riposte to Donald Trump".


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bernie Sanders
Hillary Clinton understands that if someone in America works 40 hours a week, that person should not be living in poverty.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bernie Sanders
Vermont Senator and former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders spoke on the first day of the Democratic Convention, urging his supporters to vote for presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bernie Sanders
In his speech, Sanders told supporters that he understood and shared their disappointment "about the final results of the nominating process," but urged them to "take enormous pride in the historical accomplishments we have achieved," saying: "Together, my friends, we have begun a political revolution to transform America and that revolution – our revolution – continues."


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bernie Sanders
Sanders offered a strong endorsement of Hillary Clinton, saying that America needed leadership that would "improve the lives of working families, children, the elderly, the sick and poor" and "bring our people together," and that "By these measures, any objective observer will conclude that – based on her ideas and her leadership – Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States." Sanders said "I am proud to stand with her."


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bernie Sanders
On the second day of the convention, Sanders' delegates, with his approval, voted for him in the formal roll-call vote, although at the end of the roll-call vote Sanders moved to suspend the rules to and formally nominate Clinton for president, an important unifying gesture.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bill Clinton
She is the best darn change maker I have ever known.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Bill Clinton
Former President Bill Clinton spoke on the second night of the convention, telling the story of his life with his wife, Hillary Clinton. Clinton described his wife as someone who had fought for change throughout her entire life, beginning with their first meeting in law school in 1971. Clinton contrasted the Republican portrayal of his wife with what he argued is the "real one," relating anecdotes regarding Clinton's friends and family. Dylan Matthews of Vox called the speech a "typical first lady address," noting that the former president rarely touched on his own political career. Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post stated that Clinton talked about his wife in an "engaging, funny and, yes, sweet way".


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michael Bloomberg
Donald Trump says he wants to run the country like he runs his business ... God help us. I'm a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Michael Bloomberg
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke on the third night of the convention, where he emphasized that he is not a Democrat, but endorsed Clinton anyway to "defeat a dangerous demagogue". Bloomberg's speech aimed to convince centrist voters that voting for Clinton is the "responsible" thing to do, as Bloomberg argued Trump would be a dangerous and unpredictable president. Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post wrote that Bloomberg gave a "searing and effective critique" of a fellow New York billionaire. After the speech, Reihan Salam of Slate wondered whether Bloomberg's speech foreshadowed future ideological battles in the Democratic Party between moderate "Bloombourgeoisie" and liberal "Sandernistas".


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Deval Patrick
What President Obama has done best for the United States in these eight years can be repeated with Hillary. Because we all know her capacity ..... just as we are sure she will make this country, a country that has a lot of justice and also, projects against racism.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Deval Patrick
The former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick speak Hillary as the next United States's hope with project against racism, continue of project of President Obama. Patrick says Hillary as allied more capacity for defeats Trump and augmented of protects against of Republican candidate.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Tim Kaine
Most people, when they run for president, they don't just say 'believe me.' They respect you enough to tell you how they will get things done.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Tim Kaine
Having been nominated by acclamation earlier in the day, Kaine accepted the Democratic vice presidential nomination on the night of July 27. In one of his first major national speeches, Kaine discussed his life story, including his childhood as the son of an ironworker, his time in Honduras, and his response to the Virginia Tech shooting. Kaine also attacked Trump, arguing that, in contrast to Clinton, Trump had failed to explain what he would do once in office. Kaine performed an impression of Trump, mockingly repeating "believe me," and then arguing that Trump's past showed that he cannot be trusted. Kaine also strongly endorsed Clinton as the most qualified candidate for president, calling her lista, Spanish for "ready". After the speech, Morgan Winsor of ABC News noted the many Twitter users who described Kaine as "your friend's overly nice dad".


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Barack Obama
You know, nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office. Until you've sat at that desk, you don't know what it's like to manage a global crisis or send young people to war ... But Hillary's been in the room. She's been part of those decisions.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Barack Obama
In one of the last major speeches of his presidency, Obama strongly endorsed Clinton as the nominee, saying "there has never been a man or woman more qualified than Hillary Clinton." Obama contrasted his and Clinton's hopeful view of America with that of Trump, which he called "deeply pessimistic". Obama argued that Trump is unqualified for the office, and is attempting to use fear to get elected. Michael Grunwald of Politico called it a "stirring but fundamentally defensive speech". Conservative blogger Erick Erickson tweeted "I disagree with the President on so much policy and his agenda, but appreciate the hope and optimism in this speech." After the speech, Clinton appeared on the stage for the first time in the convention, embracing her 2008 primary rival.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Sarah McBride
Hillary Clinton understands the urgency of our fight. She will work with us to pass the Equality Act, to combat violence against transgender women of color, and to end the HIV and AIDS epidemic once and for all.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Sarah McBride
Sarah McBride's speech made her the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention in American history.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Khizr Khan
Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will, I will gladly lend you my copy ... Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States. You'll see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing – and no one.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Khizr Khan
Khizr Khan, the father of Captain Humayun Khan, a Muslim-American soldier killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom, criticized Donald Trump's proposed ban on Muslim immigration. The speech was compared to Joseph N. Welch's famous rebuke during the Army–McCarthy hearings.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Chelsea Clinton
I'm voting for a fighter who never ever gives up, and who believes we can always do better when we come together and work together. I hope that my children will someday be as proud of me as I am of my mom. I am so grateful to be her daughter. I'm so grateful that she is Charlotte and Aidan's grandmother. She makes me proud every single day. And mom, grandma would be so proud of you tonight. To everyone watching here at home, I know with all my heart that my mother will make us proud as our next president.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Clinton introduced her mother, Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, by sharing her personal story about her relationship with her mother when she was younger. She also praised her for being a great mother, and said that her (Chelsea's) kids are proud of Hillary.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
But here's the sad truth: There is no other Donald Trump, this is it. And in the end, it comes down to what Donald Trump doesn't get: America is great because America is good!


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
After being introduced by her daughter, Clinton accepted the Democratic presidential nomination on July 28, the final night of the convention. In her speech, Clinton asked voters to trust in her experience, judgment, and compassion based on her long public career. Clinton discussed what her priorities would be as president, saying that creating jobs would be her "primary mission," and that she would also seek to combat climate change, make college more affordable, and institute new gun laws.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
Clinton contrasted her hopeful vision and specific policy proposals with what she sees as Trump's fearmongering and vague ideas; she quoted Jackie regarding men moved by fear and pride. Eyder Peralta of NPR also noted that Clinton's "grounded" speech contrasted with the "soaring" speeches of President Obama. To supporters of her rival Bernie Sanders, Clinton stated "I want you to know, I've heard you," complimenting their energy and passion.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
A Politico poll of "Democratic insiders" found highly positive reactions, though the insiders had slightly better reviews for the speeches of Michelle Obama and Barack Obama. A Gallup poll showed that Clinton's speech was viewed about 24 points more positively than negatively. Also, according to Gallup, 45% were more likely to vote for Clinton versus 41% who were less likely to vote for her based on what they saw/read about the convention. These net positives are higher than Trump's at the Republican National Convention.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Notable speeches, Hillary Clinton
Sam Wang reported a 7% post-convention bounce for Clinton in general election polling (on the basis of the six polls released by 1 August 2016). According to FiveThirtyEight, Clinton's post-convention bounce was larger than Trump's.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Demonstrations and protests
A total of 103 people were cited during the entire Democratic National Convention. Demonstrations by delegates on the convention floor were organized by the Bernie Delegates Network, led by California delegate Norman Solomon. In response to the email leak, many delegates protested the perceived bias and corruption of the Democratic National Committee on the opening day of the convention. Wasserman Schultz was repeatedly heckled as she addressed the Florida delegation, frequently interrupted by boos, jeers and cries of the word "shame", while some held up signs reading "emails".


2016 Democratic National Convention, Demonstrations and protests
Sanders was booed by his delegates as he spoke to a crowd of roughly 1,900 and encouraged them to vote for Clinton. Some delegates on the convention floor repeatedly booed when the name of the presumptive nominee was mentioned. Sanders made a personal plea through a text message, asking his delegates to stop protesting. Nevertheless, protesting delegates continued to heckle speakers throughout the convention night, while chants of "No TPP" could be heard across the rally. Fifty-four citations were issued by local authorities during the protest on the first day of the convention.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Demonstrations and protests
On the second day of the convention, hundreds of Sanders delegates and supporters walked out of the convention in protest following Clinton's official nomination. They subsequently staged a sit-in at a nearby media tent. There were reports of American flags, pro-Sanders fliers, and one Israeli flag being set on fire by protesters. Demonstrations supporting Sanders and the Black Lives Matter movement marched through Philadelphia, attracting at least 1,000 people by nightfall.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Demonstrations and protests
On the third day, several protesters broke through the security fencing around the convention site and clashed with police before the police managed to re-secure the fencing; seven were arrested as a result. A woman was injured while trying to put out a flag that was set on fire. Several protesters were treated due to heat-related issues. Leon Panetta's speech was repeatedly interrupted by chants of "No more war" from Code Pink members within the Oregon delegation; they turned on their cellphone flashlights and continued to protest as the arena lights near them were turned off.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Demonstrations and protests
A small group of protesters heckled and booed as Clinton delivered her acceptance speech on the final night of the convention; they were eventually drowned out by the crowd.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Viewership (10:00 to 11:45 PM Eastern)
On the first night of the convention, 25.74 million watched live coverage of the event from 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC. The first night of the DNC had more viewers than both the first night of the 2012 DNC and the first night of the 2016 RNC. The first night of the DNC also generated just under 40 million Facebook activities from 10 million people, compared to 28.6 million convention-related Facebook interactions from 8.5 million people on the first night of the RNC. The first three nights of the Democratic National Convention had more television viewers than the first three nights of the Republican National Convention, but the final night of the RNC drew 34.9 million viewers compared to 33.7 million viewers watching the final night of the DNC.


2016 Democratic National Convention, Viewership (10:00 to 11:45 PM Eastern)
Nielsen viewership data does not include views on PBS, C-SPAN, or livestreams. About 3.9 million viewed Clinton's acceptance speech on PBS, while a YouTube livestream of Clinton's speech peaked at 250,000 simultaneous viewers. On the final day of the convention, CNN received 11 million "video starts" on desktops and mobile devices.


2016 Democratic Party (HK) leadership election
The Democratic Party leadership election was held on 4 December 2016 for the 30-member 12th Central Committee of the Democratic Party in Hong Kong, including chairperson and two vice-chairperson posts.


2016 Democratic Party (HK) leadership election
Incumbent chairwoman Emily Lau, former member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong who retired in October 2016 announced her retirement from the post and was succeeded by Wu Chi-wai, member of the Legislative Council for Kowloon East, who was elected unopposed, which made it the first uncontested leadership election since 2010.


2016 Democratic Party (HK) leadership election, Electoral method
The Central Committee was elected by the party congress. All public office holders, including the members of the Legislative Council and District Councils, are eligible to vote in the party congress. The eligibility of members electing a delegate who holds one vote in the congress was 5 members. Candidate also needs a majority in order to claim victory.


2016 Democratic Party (HK) leadership election, Overview
The election came after the 2016 Legislative Council election, in which incumbent chairwoman Emily Lau and other veterans stepped down and make way for the young candidates. Lau also said she would not seek for re-election for the chair post, although there were some members petitioned to nominate Lau for another term.


2016 Democratic Party (HK) leadership election, Overview
Although the party had earlier passed a motion to create a party leader post in order to divide the roles between party organ and parliamentary caucus, Legislative Council member Wu Chi-wai became the only candidate for the chairmanship while another interested candidate, incumbent vice-chairman Lo Kin-hei chose to run for vice-chairmanship with incumbent secretary Li Wing-shing. Endorsing Wu, Lo said Wu was the best candidate to convince the party to implement the division of the roles.


2016 Democratic Party (HK) leadership election, Results
The elected members of the 12th Central Committee are listed as following:


2016 Democratic Party (HK) primaries
The 2016 Democratic Party pre-election primaries are to select the Democratic Party's candidates for the 2016 Legislative Council election. The candidacy was decided 60% by opinion polling, 20% by party's district branches and 20% by each district's district councillors and finalised in a voting in the special party congress on 24 April 2016. Seven candidate lists were decided in which James To, Helena Wong and Wu Chi-wai would seek for re-election in their respective constituencies, while chairwoman Emily Lau, Albert Ho and Sin Chung-kai would retire and succeeded by new faces Lam Cheuk-ting, Roy Kwong, Ted Hui and Andrew Wan.


2016 Democratic Party (HK) primaries, Background
The Democratic Party has held intra-party primaries according to the opinion polls in the previous Legislative Council elections. In the previous mechanism, the candidacy was decided 60% by opinion polling, 20% by party's district branches and 20% by each district's district councillors. It was reverted to 8:1:1 after the 2004 Legislative Council election due to the criticism of too much influence of the party.


2016 Democratic Party (HK) primaries, Background
The unprecedented primary proposal was suggested by chairwoman Emily Lau to hold public debates to select the candidacy before the party's voting. Lau said her idea was borrowed from the United States presidential primaries and believed such forums, which would be open to the public and the press, would greatly increase the transparency of the races. The plan of public debates were later cancelled.


2016 Democratic Party (HK) primaries, Background
The annual party congress on 6 December 2015 primarily agreed on the pre-election primary proposal. On the congress, the party's electoral committee suggested to have only one ticket for each geographical constituency while two for the District Council (Second) "super seats". Former legislator Lee Wing-tat who lost in New Territories West expressed the worry of losing both lists if the party put forward two candidate lists as they did in the 2012 Legislative Council election.


2016 Democratic Party (HK) primaries, Background
Zachary Wong Wai-yin, veteran Yuen Long District Council member suggested to modify the maximum candidate list for New Territories West and New Territories East from one to two, which agreed by 2012 New Territories West candidate Josephine Chan Shu-ying. The motion eventually passed with 62 for 61 against. The idea of fielding two lists in New Territories East and West was eventually dismissed by many as too risky.


2016 Democratic Party (HK) primaries, Background
The pre-election primary mechanism was also reverted to the pre-2004 6:2:2 ratio with 81 for 37 against to help the non-incumbent candidates who is disadvantaged by in the opinion polls compared to the publicity of the incumbent candidates would enjoy.


2016 Democratic Party (HK) primaries, Candidates
After the nomination period from 10 to 31 December, a total number of 14 nominations was received. The nominations surprised the media as long-time legislator and incumbent chairwoman Emily Lau decided not to run for an eighth term. The other incumbents who would not seek for re-election included Albert Ho of District Council (Second) and Sin Chung-kai of Hong Kong Island. Another surprise was the two rising stars Southern District Councillors Lo Kin-hei, who is also party's vice chairman, and Henry Chai Man-hon, have both given up contesting the Legislative Council elections.


2016 Democratic Party (Japan, 2016) leadership election
The Democratic Party held a presidential election on 15 September 2016. It was the party's first election since the formation of the party from the merger of the Democratic Party of Japan and the Japan Innovation Party. The race determined the successor of acting president Katsuya Okada who decided against running for a full term.


2016 Democratic Party (Japan, 2016) leadership election, Results
Voting was held on 15 September, following a campaign period from 2 September.


2016 Democratic Party of Korea leadership election
The Democratic Party of Korea held a leadership election on 27 August 2016. It was to elect a successor to interim leader Kim Chong-in, who was the leader of the 2016 legislative election. The elected leader was slated to serve a 2-year term.


2016 Democratic Party of Korea leadership election
The new leader, Choo Mi-ae was the first leader from Daegu–Gyeongbuk (TK) region in the history of the Democratic Party.


2016 Democratic Party of Korea leadership election, Results
The ratio of the results by sector was 45% for delegates, 30% for party members, 15% for opinion poll and 10% for non-voting members poll.


2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates
This article contains lists of candidates associated with the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries for the 2016 United States presidential election.


2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates, Major candidates
Individuals included in this section have taken one or more of the following actions: formally announced their candidacy, or filed as a candidate with Federal Election Commission (FEC) (for other than exploratory purposes), and were included in at least 5 independent national polls.


2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates, Major candidates
Five of the major candidates were invited to participate in at least one Democratic Party-sanctioned debate: Lincoln Chafee, Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley, Bernie Sanders, and Jim Webb.


2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates, Major candidates, Candidates who won one or more contests
The following candidate won primaries and received delegates in most or all state primaries and caucuses.


2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates, Major candidates, Major candidates who withdrew during the primaries
The following individual announced a major candidacy for president but withdrew at some point after the Iowa Caucuses.


2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates, Major candidates, Major candidates who withdrew before the primaries
The following individuals announced what were recognized by the media as major candidacies for president but withdrew from the race after the first debate. Some received write-in votes. They are listed alphabetically.


2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates, Other candidates, On the ballot in multiple states
The following notable individuals were on the ballot in at least five states.


2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates, Other candidates, On the ballot in multiple states
In addition, the following other candidates were on the ballot in more than one state:


2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates, Other candidates, Candidates not on any primary ballot
Over a thousand people sent the requisite paperwork to the Federal Election Commission declaring themselves candidates for President.


2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates, Alternate ballot options
Several primaries provided ballot options to voters to cast votes for "no preference" and/or "uncommitted". "No preference" received 45,331 votes (0.27% of the popular vote), and 'uncommitted' received 40,548 votes (0.24% of the popular vote), respectively placing them 4th and 5th in the popular vote.


2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates, Potential candidates who did not run, Previous
The following people were the focus of presidential speculation in multiple media reports during the 2016 election cycle.


2016 Democratic Party presidential candidates, Potential candidates who did not run, Declined
Individuals listed in this section were the focus of media speculation as being possible 2016 presidential candidates but publicly, and unequivocally, ruled out a presidential bid in 2016.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums
Debates occurred among candidates in the campaign for the Democratic Party's nomination for the president of the United States in the 2016 presidential election.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums
Several forums, in which candidates do not respond directly to each other, were later also announced, with the support of the DNC.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Schedule
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced on May 5, 2015, that there would be 6 debates, which they considered "a reasonable number and in line with what the national committee sanctioned in 2008." On August 6, 2015, the DNC announced the locations for all six original debates, with exact venues still to be determined, and the specific dates for the first four debates.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Schedule
In late January 2016, trailing the New Hampshire primary race, the Clinton campaign requested a second New Hampshire debate, which had already been scheduled to February 4, to be officially sanctioned by the DNC. The Sanders campaign said they would only agree with that proposal if a total of four additional debates would be held, one in February, March, April and May each. Both campaigns agreed to a March 3 debate in Flint, Michigan.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Schedule
There also seemed to be agreement on a California debate on May 24, but not at the remaining April 14 debate in Brooklyn, New York, as proposed by Sanders. On February 3, just ahead of the second New Hampshire debate, Clinton's and Sanders's campaigns agreed in principle to holding four more debates, also sanctioned by the DNC, for a total of 10.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Ratings
The following table lists the ratings (number of estimated viewers) of the debates to date.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Tuesday October 13, 2015 – Las Vegas, Nevada
The Democratic Party's first presidential debate ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election was held on October 13, 2015, at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Tuesday October 13, 2015 – Las Vegas, Nevada
Starting at 8:30 p.m. and ending at 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, it aired on CNN and was broadcast on radio by Westwood One. Anderson Cooper was the moderator of the debate, with Dana Bash and Juan Carlos Lopez asking additional questions and Don Lemon presenting questions submitted by voters via Facebook.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Tuesday October 13, 2015 – Las Vegas, Nevada
To be invited to the debate, a candidate had to achieve an average of at least 1% in three recognized national polls released between August 1 and October 10. In addition, a candidate had to either file a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission or declare that one would be filed by October 14, the day after the debate. The latter criterion would have accommodated Vice President Joe Biden had he decided to enter the presidential race as late as the day of the debate. CNN had an extra lectern available to install for Biden, but he took no action to enter the campaign before the debate.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Tuesday October 13, 2015 – Las Vegas, Nevada
Analysis on the debate was largely mixed regarding who, between the top two candidates, won. Some analysts from CNN and BBC viewed Clinton as the winner, while other publications such as The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and the Fox News Channel, claimed that Sanders was the winner. Conversely, Chafee, O'Malley and Webb were all widely regarded as the "losers".


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Tuesday October 13, 2015 – Las Vegas, Nevada
One of the most memorable moments from the debate, which drew an average of 15.3 million viewers, a record for a Democratic debate, came when Sanders replied to a question about Clinton's email controversy that the American people were "sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails", which drew cheers and applause from the audience and a smile and handshake between the two candidates.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Tuesday October 13, 2015 – Las Vegas, Nevada
With regard to social media, Sanders had the biggest gains of the night on Twitter and Facebook, with an increase of 46,000 new followers and 35,000 new likes, respectively; over the course of the night, he was also the most-searched candidate on Google. Conversely, Clinton had the biggest gains on Instagram, with 25,000 likes for her photograph of her podium just before the debate started. It was noted that Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, who was live-Tweeting during the entire debate and mocking the candidates, gained more Twitter followers over the course of the night than all of the five candidates combined, with over 70,000 new followers.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Tuesday October 13, 2015 – Las Vegas, Nevada
With the focus primarily being on Clinton and Sanders, a majority of subsequent fact-checking in the aftermath of the debate was regarding comments made by the two of them. Fact-checking by the Associated Press and USA Today pointed out mistakes in both of their presentations: specifically, Clinton was considered inconsistent in many of her policy stances, particularly with regard to the Obama administration's handling of the Syrian Civil War as well as the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement that Clinton supported as Secretary of State, but changed to opposing while a candidate. In contrast, Sanders was pointed out as making economic claims based on outdated information, particularly with regard to how much of America's GDP actually goes to the wealthiest in the country.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Tuesday October 13, 2015 – Las Vegas, Nevada
This was the first and only debate appearance of Chafee and Webb, who ended their campaigns on October 23 and October 20, respectively.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Saturday November 14, 2015 – Des Moines, Iowa
The Democratic Party's second presidential debate ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election was held on November 14, 2015, at the Sheslow Auditorium at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Saturday November 14, 2015 – Des Moines, Iowa
It aired on CBS News and was also be broadcast by KCCI and The Des Moines Register. This was the first debate to be broadcast over nationwide network television, the previous debate having gone over cable.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Saturday November 14, 2015 – Des Moines, Iowa
CBS News Political Director John Dickerson was the principal moderator, with participation by Kevin Cooney of KCCI.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Saturday November 14, 2015 – Des Moines, Iowa
The day before the debate, November 13, was the day of the November 2015 Paris attacks, where nearly 130 civilians were killed by radical Jihadist terrorists - specifically, members of ISIS - across the city of Paris. As a result of the attacks, after initial speculation that the debate might be cancelled, CBS announced that, while the debate would go on as planned, the focus of the debate's content would be dramatically shifted over to foreign policy and terrorism. In addition, a moment of silence was held at the beginning of the debate in memory of the victims.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Saturday November 14, 2015 – Des Moines, Iowa
One of the most memorable moments of the debate was when Clinton defended against claims that she had ties to Wall Street bankers, particularly when Sanders pointed out that some of Clinton's largest donors were from Wall Street. Clinton retaliated by claiming that, as the Senator from New York during the September 11 attacks, she had to work closely with Wall Street since the attacks were so close to Wall Street.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Saturday November 14, 2015 – Des Moines, Iowa
Clinton immediately received scrutiny over these comments, including when Dickerson highlighted a Tweet from a viewer reading, "Never before have I heard someone use 9/11 to justify millions of Wall Street donations," which drew thunderous applause from the audience, and led to both Sanders and O'Malley also attacking Clinton for those comments. Post-debate criticisms arose from all across the political spectrum, from Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, to Clinton's own former campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, who said that the 9/11 reference would've been better used in the previous discussion on terrorism and foreign policy, not justifying her Wall Street connections.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Saturday November 14, 2015 – Des Moines, Iowa
The New York Times and many other media organizations have heavily criticized Clinton for invoking 9/11 to cover her Wall Street connections.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Saturday December 19, 2015 – Goffstown, New Hampshire
The Democratic Party's third presidential debate ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election was held on December 19, 2015 at St. Anselm College, in Goffstown, New Hampshire.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Saturday December 19, 2015 – Goffstown, New Hampshire
It aired on ABC News and was moderated by journalist David Muir, anchor of "World News Tonight", and Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz. On December 11, 2015, the DNC had announced that it would revoke the sponsorship of the debate by WMUR-TV because of a labor dispute with its unionized employees.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Saturday December 19, 2015 – Goffstown, New Hampshire
The topics covered during the debate included Sanders' campaign's breach of Clinton's campaign data, strategy for defeating ISIS, gun control, the issue of whether to depose President Assad of Syria, if Wall Street favored each candidate, stability in the Middle East enforced by dictators and whether regime change was necessary, and the role of the First Spouse.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Sunday January 17, 2016 – Charleston, South Carolina
The Democratic Party's fourth presidential debate ahead of the 2016 Democratic primaries, and the first one in 2016, was held on January 17, 2016, at the Gaillard Center, a venue for performing arts in Charleston, South Carolina.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Sunday January 17, 2016 – Charleston, South Carolina
Held from 9 to 11 pm ET, it was facilitated by Lester Holt and Andrea Mitchell. The location was 7.6 miles southeast of the North Charleston Coliseum, where the last Republican debate had been held on January 14, and the debate aired on NBC News and YouTube. It was also sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus. It was notable as being the final debate before the start of precinct caucuses and primary voting.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Sunday January 17, 2016 – Charleston, South Carolina
On January 8, NBC News announced that in order to qualify for the debate, a candidate must have reached an average of at least 5% either in national polls, or in Iowa, New Hampshire, or South Carolina, based on the five most recent polls recognized by NBC News released before January 14.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Sunday January 17, 2016 – Charleston, South Carolina
Both before and after the debate, commentators said the debate was focused on Sanders and his voting record on gun control and slights against President Obama, among other issues. During the debate, O'Malley interrupted to take 30 seconds to talk about "homeland security and preparedness". Also during the debate, Clinton and Sanders had some back-and-forth exchanges to define themselves on Wall Street, foreign policy, and gun control.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Sunday January 17, 2016 – Charleston, South Carolina
Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post viewed Sanders as the winner of the debate, while also praising O'Malley. According to Cillizza, Clinton was, "as always, solid," but "she did nothing in the debate to slow the momentum that Sanders is building in Iowa and New Hampshire."


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Sunday January 17, 2016 – Charleston, South Carolina
This was the fourth and final debate appearance of O'Malley, who suspended his campaign on February 1.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Thursday February 4, 2016 – Durham, New Hampshire
The Democratic Party's fifth presidential debate ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election was held on February 4, 2016 in Durham, New Hampshire.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Thursday February 4, 2016 – Durham, New Hampshire
On January 26, NBC News and the New Hampshire Union Leader announced plans to hold an unsanctioned debate in New Hampshire on February 4, to be moderated by Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow. Clinton, Sanders, and O'Malley all received an invitation to the debate, with O'Malley being the first to confirm his participation. On January 31, the DNC officially sanctioned the debate but removed the Union Leader as a sponsor, and each major Democratic candidate confirmed their attendance. O'Malley suspended his campaign after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses, thereby leaving Clinton and Sanders as the remaining participants. The debate aired on February 4, 2016, from 9 to 11 pm ET on MSNBC.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Thursday February 4, 2016 – Durham, New Hampshire
Commentators of the debate cited the elevated discourse between the candidates. There was discussion on the death penalty (federal versus state), money in politics, and assessing Russia, Iran, and North Korea as threats to national security. Clinton demanded that Sanders explain his "artful smears" of Clinton receiving campaign donations. Sanders responded by critiquing the inherently "quid-pro-quo" nature of Wall Street campaign donations. The exchange between the two candidates was called by Eric Levitz one of the best 10-minute exchanges in the history of American political debates.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Thursday February 11, 2016 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Democratic Party's sixth presidential debate ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election was held on February 11, 2016 at the University of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Thursday February 11, 2016 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Starting at 8:00 PM CST, the debate was aired on PBS and simulcast by CNN. Two anchors of PBS NewsHour, Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff, moderated for the two candidates.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Thursday February 11, 2016 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The debate preshow ran for 30 minutes before the debate. Clinton noted it was a new milestone among presidential debates owing to the fact that more women were on the debate stage than men (3:1). After opening statements with Sanders going first, each candidate had 90 seconds to answer and then the other was given a 30-second response. There were two short breaks. During a break, highlights of the debate were shown by Hari Sreenivasan with political commentary from Lisa Desjardins, Amy Walter, and Tamara Keith weighing in on what had been said.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Thursday February 11, 2016 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The candidates debated on race relations, the size of government, funding their goals, Medicaid/Medicare, campaign contributor's influence, the prospect of a first woman president, affordable college, reducing areas of government, readiness for an attack on America, Henry Kissinger, Russian relations, the U.S. role with respect to refugees, influential leaders on foreign policy, and criticism of President Barack Obama. In closing statements, Sanders talked about bringing people together to create a representative government. Clinton's closing talked about not being a single issue candidate and taking on all barriers to people achieving their individual potentials.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Thursday February 11, 2016 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
After the debate, the commentators were asked if the candidates did what they needed to do. Then Sreenivasan interviewed journalists David Brooks and Mark Shields in the postdebate coverage.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Sunday March 6, 2016 – Flint, Michigan
The Democratic Party's seventh presidential debate ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election was held on March 6, 2016 at The Whiting, Flint Cultural Center, in Flint, Michigan.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Sunday March 6, 2016 – Flint, Michigan
The city chosen was the epicenter of the ongoing Flint water crisis. Starting at 8.00 pm EST, the debate aired on CNN and was moderated by Anderson Cooper. He was joined by CNN's Don Lemon in asking questions. The debate ran for almost two hours. At the end of the debate, Cooper announced a labor union fund had committed $25 million in low-interest loans towards repairing the water system.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Sunday March 6, 2016 – Flint, Michigan
The Michigan Democratic Party claimed the organization had no tickets to distribute leading up to the debate for the general public, party volunteers & major party donors, however sent out open public emails with links to open invites for any person interested in attending a pre-debate reception and dinner on March 5, combined with debate tickets for March 6, that would be willing to purchase tickets for $1,000 to $20,000 per package via EventBrite.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Sunday March 6, 2016 – Flint, Michigan
Candidates were given 75 seconds to respond and 30 seconds for follow-ups. Members of the audience, made up of Democrats and Independents, were also given the chance to field questions, which were screened to avoid overlapping in content. Sanders and Clinton were given 60 seconds for opening statements and for closing statements at the end of the debate.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Sunday March 6, 2016 – Flint, Michigan
A subsequent WikiLeaks email dump suggested that DNC vice chair Donna Brazile gave Clinton an unfair advantage in the debate with Sanders, revealed by Brazille's email message on March 5, 2016, to John Podesta and Jennifer Palmieri with the title: "One of the questions directed to HRC tomorrow is from a woman with a rash." The message continued, "her family has lead poison and she will ask what, if anything, will Hillary do as president to help the ppl of Flint."


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Wednesday March 9, 2016 – Miami, Florida
The Democratic Party's eighth presidential debate ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election was held on March 9, 2016 in Building 7 of the Kendall Campus of Miami Dade College in Miami, Florida.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Wednesday March 9, 2016 – Miami, Florida
Starting at 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, it was broadcast through a partnership between Univision and The Washington Post. The debate was discussed during a job interview conducted in early 2015 between the Democratic National Committee's then-Communications Director Mo Elleithee and future Hispanic Media Director Pablo Manriquez. After starting at the DNC in April 2015, Manriquez "talked about the idea for a debate for Democratic candidates on Univision to anyone who had ears to listen." The debate was officially announced on November 2, 2015.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Thursday April 14, 2016 – Brooklyn, New York
The Democratic Party's ninth presidential debate ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election was held on April 14, 2016 at the Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn Navy Yard. The debate aired on CNN and NY1. Wolf Blitzer of CNN served as moderator.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Planned May debate/Potential Sanders/Trump debate
Despite previously agreeing to a tenth debate in the state of California, before the last day of primary elections, Hillary Clinton declined to participate. As a result of this, the debate was cancelled. Bernie Sanders called it insulting to the people of California, the largest primary state.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Presidential debates, Planned May debate/Potential Sanders/Trump debate
After it had been established that a California debate would not take place, Donald Trump offered a debate with Bernie Sanders ahead of the June 7th primary. The only condition for this debate was for the profits to be donated to a charity, which the candidates would agree on. Bernie Sanders accepted the offer; however, Donald Trump eventually declined to participate, stating there was no need to debate a candidate who would not win the Democratic nomination.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Forums
In addition to the main debates, twelve forums were scheduled for the candidates to discuss the issues.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Forums, November 6, 2015 – Rock Hill, South Carolina
Rachel Maddow was selected to moderate the First in the South Candidates Forum with Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O'Malley, which was held at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on November 6, co-sponsored by the Democratic Parties of 13 southern states. The forum was not in debate format; instead, each candidate was interviewed individually and sequentially. Lincoln Chafee and Jim Webb were also invited, but their campaigns never responded to the invitations, and both subsequently withdrew from the race. Lessig attempted multiple times to enter the debates but was systematically excluded by the DNC.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Forums, November 6, 2015 – Rock Hill, South Carolina
A Public Policy Poll of South Carolina Democratic voters conducted from November 7–8, after the forum, discovered that 67% of viewers thought Clinton won the forum, 16% thought Sanders won, and 6% thought O'Malley won, with 11% unsure.


2016 Democratic Party presidential debates and forums, Forums, November 24, 2015 – MoveOn.org
The second forum for the Democratic primaries occurred on November 24, 2015. On October 21, 2015, MoveOn announced that it would host a candidate forum to be recorded and aired online in mid-November. The announcement came amid ongoing unrest within the Democratic party over the unusually low number of Democratic debates allowed by the DNC. While five candidates – Lincoln Chafee, Hillary Clinton, Lawrence Lessig, Martin O'Malley, and Bernie Sanders – were invited, only Sanders and O'Malley appeared at the event. Although this was the first forum between the candidates in which Lessig was invited, he dropped out of the race before the forum was to be held.