WASHINGTON _ Bernie Sanders' California delegates to the Democratic National Convention say they're disappointed he won't be the candidate accepting the party's presidential nomination this week, but they're mostly ready to back Joe Biden this fall.
Several Sanders' California delegates said there's too much at stake for them to sit out the November election after Sanders' loss.
"Is it just about getting (President Donald) Trump out of office? Yes, it kind of is," said Jewel Hurtado, a Sanders delegate who is a 21-year-old City Council member in Kingsburg. "It's been a hard time over the past four years. Especially as a person of color, a member of the LGBTQ community and a woman."
On Monday, the Vermont senator urged his supporters to turn their attention to backing Biden.
"The future of our democracy is at stake," he said in his Democratic National Convention address. "The future of our economy is at stake. The future of the planet is at stake. We must come together to defeat Donald Trump."
Sanders scored a big win in California's March 3 primary, receiving 36% of the vote to Biden's 27.9%. That victory netted Sanders a majority of California's 415 Democratic delegates.
Delegates, unless released by their candidate, are expected to vote for their candidate, regardless of whether that candidate has suspended their campaign.
California Sanders delegates contacted by McClatchy all said they would still vote for the self-described democratic socialist at the convention, even if Sanders releases them from their obligation.
In conversations with several Sanders delegates only one, who asked not to be identified, said he would not be voting for Biden in November. That one said he might reconsider if he believes Trump has a chance of winning California, but since that's incredibly unlikely he feels it is appropriate to protest Biden by not voting for him.
The others are largely ready to vote for Biden in the fall.
"I can confidently and wholeheartedly say I will vote for Biden in November as I fully understand the dangers and troubles of having Trump and (Vice President Mike) Pence for four more years," said Isaac Gudino, a 20-year-old Sanders delegate who is studying music education at Fresno City College.
That's consistent with nationwide trends showing Democrats primarily motivated by the prospect of unseating Trump.
A Pew Research Center poll conducted between July 27 and Aug. 2 found 56% of people who support Biden said their main reason was because he is not Trump. Among about 500 voters who said they planned to vote for Biden, 58% said it was a vote against Trump compared to 38% who said it was a vote for Biden, according to a CNN poll conducted from Aug. 12 to Aug. 15.
The same CNN poll found, of 450 voters who said they planned to vote for Trump, that 29% were voting against Biden and 67% said they were voting for Trump.
Aside from voting against Trump, some Sanders delegates say they're motivated to support the ticket that is more likely to listen to progressive voices.
"I will be voting for Biden, but I'll continue having open and honest conversations to make sure working communities are getting a seat at the table," said Alexandria Ramos-O'Casey, a 26-year-old political consultant in Fresno who worked for the Sanders campaign. "This is primarily about Trump and protecting working-class people. Trump is a racist, he is a fascist, he is a sexist, and he's put our community at risk."
One example Ramos-O'Casey cited was the Green New Deal, which she believes Biden can be pushed to embrace more, and much more than Trump or Pence.
"Being from (the) Central Valley, environmental issues are huge," she said. "I don't think I have a single friend who doesn't have asthma."
The Sanders delegates also weren't thrilled with Biden's vice presidential pick in California Sen. Kamala Harris, though they acknowledged they were happy Biden had picked a woman of color.
"It was disheartening to see Joe Biden pick Kamala Harris when there were other, much more progressive alternatives that could make it a unity ticket, so that progressives from all parts of this country would feel more comfortable," said David Paredes, a 24-year-old Sanders delegate who is running for the Fresno Unified School District School Board of Trustees.
While the Sanders delegates are willing to vote for Biden, most voted against the Democratic platform for the convention. They were disappointed it did not include "Medicare for All," the health care policy that Sanders championed.
Hurtado said she voted against the platform for that reason. She has a young son with a rare disease, and he requires medication in order to stay alive, she said.
"People tell us change comes slowly, but people are dying quickly, and we need to have a sense of urgency for people like my son," Hurtado said.
