Sanders encourages Washington delegates to build Democratic party | Bellingham Herald

Sen. Bernie Sanders told Washington state delegates that the country is now facing bigger issues than him losing the Democratic presidential nomination.

“We have an enormous amount of work to do, and that means keeping our eyes focused on the real issues,” he said at the state’s early morning breakfast on Wednesday, July 27. He then rallied Washington’s delegates to defeat Donald Trump.

Tatum Kenn, 18, and a Sanders delegate from Bellingham, said she thinks the Vermont senator visited the Washington delegates because they helped lead the DNC walk-out protest late Tuesday evening just after Hillary Clinton officially clinched the Democratic nomination.

“His message has really been consistent,” Kenn said. “He was here because we led the walk-out, and he was like, ‘No, no, no.’ ”

“I want to talk about what we believe, what we’ve accomplished, but more importantly, where we have to go from here,” Sanders added. “The future of the Democratic party is with our agenda.”

Instead of continuing to focus on polls, campaign fundraising and gossip, Sanders encouraged the delegates to think bigger – like building the Democratic party, he said.

“We need to revitalize democracy, and to bring more and more people into the political process,” Sanders said.

Jaxon Ravens, the chair of Washington Democrats, emphasized the tone of Sanders’ message and echoed his call to look beyond this election.

“Sanders is the key to the future,” Ravens told the delegation. “That’s what happened on this stage. … I’m so touched Sen. Sanders felt the call to come today.”

Sanders also thanked the entire Washington delegation for what he said was the “extraordinary support that we received from your beautiful state.”

“We did as well, I think, in Washington as almost any state in the country.”