Two Vermonters have left the Democratic National Convention because of Hillary Clinton's nomination and will return to Vermont.
Shyla Nelson, an opera singer and activist from Hartford, announced her decision Wednesday, the day after Bernie Sanders officially lost the presidential nomination.
Maria Rinaldi of Jericho also skipped the convention Wednesday and planned to drive home.
"I just couldn’t take sitting through two more days of a Hillary celebration," said Rinaldi, who feels Hillary Clinton's campaign has not listened to people like her.
Nelson's departure followed a string of high-profile appearances at the convention. Sanders personally asked Nelson, a former employee in his Burlington mayoral administration, to deliver a speech in support of his presidential nomination.
"It was one of the greatest honors of my life," Nelson said.
After the votes were tallied, Sanders made a motion for all Democrats to support Clinton as their nominee — and Nelson walked out.
Christina Amestoy, a spokeswoman for the Vermont Democratic Party, said one alternate delegate, Matt Kiley, also left the convention for a medical issue, meaning Vermont lacked a full delegation on the floor Wednesday night.
Burbank writes for the Burlington Free Press.
