Mood buoyant at roll call

Rival factions within delegations peacefully shared the microphone

“I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee of the Democratic Party for president of the United States.” Bernie Sanders

The roll call of the states, in recent years an irrelevant if colorful political convention anachronism, became a focal point of Democratic unity Tuesday night, as Bernie Sanders took the microphone when it was over to ask that his rival Hillary Clinton be nominated by acclamation.

Clinton thus became, almost a century after a constitutional amendment first guaranteed American women the vote, the first female major party nominee for president.

Suspense over how Sanders delegates would react was resolved in a sea of cheers across the convention floor when Sanders appeared amidst the Vermont delegation, which earlier had passed so it could be the last to announce its vote.

“I move that the convention suspend the procedural rules,” Sanders said to thunderous cheers from across the floor of the convention hall.

His appeal ended suspense over whether his loyal supporters would cheer, boo or sit on their hands as Clinton was nominated.

The roll call began after speeches placing both candidates in nomination.

Speaking on behalf of Clinton, Civil Rights Movement pioneer and Rep. John Lewis said, “Tonight, we will shatter that glass ceiling” — a reference to Clinton’s claim in 2008 that her presidential bid had left “18 million cracks” in that metaphor for gender discrimination.

For Sanders, it was a bittersweet evening.

He was repeatedly extolled as a leader “whose fight for inclusion, justice and fairness has invigorated our party” ( Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolfe) and a man “who electrified Nebraska and the United States” ( state party chairman Vince Powers).

But then came the cruel sequel; the state cast the rest of its votes, its delegation leader would say, for “the next president of the United States, Hillary Clinton.”

The winner needed 2,382 votes. Alabama, the first to go, cast 50 votes for Clinton and nine for Sanders, with one abstention.

The mood was buoyant, as state delegation speakers touted their natural glories and problems, including Alaska’s “receding glaciers,” as they announced their votes.

Rival factions within delegations peacefully shared the microphone; in a typical interchange, a Sanders delegate from Hawaii cast 19 votes for “the leader of our revolution, which shall continue.” And U. S. Sen. Brian Schatzcast cast 15 votes for Clinton, “the next president of the United States.”

Speaking for New York state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state cast 108 of its 299 votes for Sanders and “applauds him for his call for unity for all Democrats.”

Delegates announcing the state votes included a beaming Jerry Emmett, 102, of Arizona, a woman born six years before universal women’s suffrage.

“And 51 votes for the next president of the United States of America, Hillary Rodham Clinton,” an impassioned Emmett said to cheers. “I cried! I never cry,” she said immediately afterward.

The final tally was Clinton 2,842 delegates, Sanders, 1,865.

MICHAEL CHOW, USA TODAY Sanders speaks after Vermont votes were announced Tuesday.

ROBERT DEUTSCH, USA TODAY A sign declaring Hillary Clinton the official Democratic nominee appears during the convention Tuesday.