Maryland delegation set to attend Democratic National Convention
Mayoral candidate state Sen. Catherine Pugh among Clinton delegates
A large portion of Maryland’s Democratic elected officials will be in Philadelphia this week to attend the Democratic National Convention.
Among that group is state Sen. Catherine Pugh. The Baltimore mayoral candidate is at the convention as a delegate for Hillary Clinton and she said she is looking forward to an exciting and positive four days. This despite the revelation from leaked emails by WikiLeaks that show Democratic Party staffers secretly helped Clinton.
The revelation led to the resignation of party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who will step down after the convention.
"I think whoever leaked those emails certainly should be punished and we hope it has no impact on the conference coming forward,” Pugh said. “I'm looking for a unifying message, one that gives our country hope, one that understands we have the right choice in president, in president Hillary Clinton and that we unite together and go forward and try to get everybody excited about this campaign."
A unifying message is needed for the Democrats, who like the Republicans a week earlier, start their convention deeply divided. Despite the email leak, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Clinton’s main primary opponent, has said he will not challenge Clinton, adding that Democrats need to focus on defeating Republican nominee Donald Trump.
"(Sanders) has had his conversations with the Clinton administration, with this team, and I think that you will hear part of his message being inserted with her message,” Pugh said.
Pugh said she is excited about the convention and is looking forward to speakers delivering positive messages.
"(I hope) that we give this country hope, that we focus on the issues of getting people working in our country, and that we continue the agenda that Obama has left us moving forward with, healthcare for all,” Pugh said.
Pugh also attended the 2008 Democratic National convention as a Clinton delegate. She had no comment on whether Wasserman Schultz should resign.