CLEVELAND — Real estate magnate Donald Trump on Tuesday July 19 was officially nominated as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate for the November election at the GOP Convention here.
During Tuesday afternoon’s roll call vote, Trump – who was not present for the balloting of delegates by state – managed to garner more than the 1,237 votes required to secure the party nomination, EFE news agency reported.
The brash billionaire businessman’s home state of New York was the one that put him over the 1,237-vote threshold and, by and large, the balloting was clear and even surprising evidence of unity in a party that just yesterday appeared to be riven with dissension and unrest among the “Never Trump” or anti-Trump faction.
The roll call of the states proceeded alphabetically and Trump’s oldest child, Donald Jr., accompanied by his sister Ivanka and brother Eric, read the 89-6 tally for the New York state delegates that handed his father the presidential nomination at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
Although Trump’s pick for his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, must also be confirmed by a roll call vote at the Convention, this was likely to be a mere formality and all that remains is for Trump to accept the party’s decision on Thursday in his speech closing out the conclave that began on Monday.
No significant protests or dissension arose during the roll call vote, in contrast to what was seen on Monday when rebel delegates fruitlessly tried to derail the Trump juggernaut by demanding a change in the rules governing the candidate selection process.
Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, obtained a marginal number of votes in the states where local rules allow delegates to vote for candidates who are absent from the convention proceedings.
Source: efe.com