Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by The Honorable Terry McAuliffe

PHILADELPHIA, July 26, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hello, Democrats!

This is an extraordinary day. It's a day that will change the political history of our country. It's the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. And it's a day that I guarantee you'll remember forever. Because you'll be able to say, I was there when we nominated Hillary Clinton to be our next President of the United States!

When we selected the first woman nominee in American history to lead our party to the White House. When we selected a nominee who has fought her whole life for greater justice, equality, and opportunity for every American. When we selected a nominee who doesn't just talk about making America stronger around the world – she's the only candidate with a specific plan to work with our allies and fight ISIS.

My friends, Hillary Clinton is a nominee who is ready to stand up to the hatred and the fearmongering and send Donald Trump back to his bankrupt casinos, where he belongs! Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't praise Hillary for her excellent judgment in selecting my friend and fellow Virginian, Tim Kaine, to be the next Vice President of the United States!

Now, I've known Hillary, and her husband Bill, for more than half of my life. I remember her playing mermaid in the pool with our youngest daughter, Sally, for hours on family vacations. She was the first to call and congratulate our oldest son, Jack, when he began his career as an officer in the Marine Corps. And she and Bill didn't hesitate to travel through a blizzard to be with our family at my father's funeral.

Hillary is tough. She is determined. She is an amazing mother, grandmother, and wife. And I know that she loves this country more than anything. Compare that to what we just heard from Donald Trump and the Republicans. They spent four days tearing our country down. They blamed immigrants, refugees, affordable health care, and offered no solutions other than giving the nuclear codes to a man who praises Saddam Hussein and Vladimir Putin. If Donald Trump really cared about American greatness, he wouldn't attack Democrats, he would follow our lead.

In Virginia, we're putting or values into action to create jobs and bring our unemployment rate down from 5.3 percent when I took office to 3.7 percent today, the steepest decline a governor has seen at this point in his term in 32 years. We have made record investments in public education, expanded access to healthy nutrition for Virginia's children, and were the first state in the nation to functionally end veteran homelessness.

We have fought Republican efforts to discriminate against LGBT Virginians, and we have stood up for a woman's right to choose. And we are overcoming obstacles to deny hundreds of thousands of former felons the right to vote because history tells us that enemies of progress can slow the march toward justice and equality, but they cannot stop it.

We have come so far since 2008, but there is more work to be done. That is why I support Hillary Clinton. Because I want a president who will build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. A president who tackles global warming head-on and stands up for common sense solutions that keep guns away from dangerous people. A president who has vision, purpose, and the experience to lead our nation, not cheesy slogans and silly hats. A president who will build our country up, not tear it down to scare up votes.

My friends, I've known Hillary for decades. I've seen her in action. I know the kind of leader she will be. Tonight we made history, but the fight has just begun. It's time for all of us to get to work and make my friend, Hillary Clinton, the next President of the United States!

Thank you!

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SOURCE 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee

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