Claim: Bernie Sanders is in the Senate.

The 2016 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention , held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , from July 25 through to July 28 , 2016 . The convention gathered delegates of the Democratic Party , the majority of them elected through a preceding series of primaries and caucuses , to nominate a candidate for president and vice president in the 2016 United States presidential election . Former U.S. Secretary of State , Hillary Rodham Clinton , was chosen as the party 's nominee for president by a 59.67 % majority of delegates present at the convention roll call , defeating primary rival Senator Bernie Sanders , who received 39.16 % of votes from delegates , and becoming the first female candidate to be formally nominated for presidential by a major political party in the United States . Her running mate , Senator Tim Kaine from Virginia , was confirmed by delegates as the party 's nominee for vice president by acclamation .   Delegates at the convention also adopted a party platform , through a voice vote , to take to the 2016 elections , touted as the `` most progressive '' platform in the Democratic Party 's history . The progressive shift was often credited to Sanders and the influence of platform-committee members appointed by him . The platform featured a focus on economic issues , such as Wall Street reform , stronger financial regulation , and raising the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour . Liberal stances on social issues , such as a call for criminal justice reform and an end to private prisons , expansion of Social Security , and the abolition of the death penalty , also feature in the platform .   Senator Elizabeth Warren delivered the keynote address of the convention , with First Lady Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders serving as headlining speakers on the first day . Former President Bill Clinton served as headlining speaker on the convention 's second day , while Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama headlined on day three . Tim Kaine gave his vice presidential nomination acceptance speech on the third day of the convention , while Chelsea Clinton introduced Hillary Rodham Clinton to give her presidential nomination acceptance speech on the final day . Clinton 's speech was generally well-received , and she would go on to have a 7 % convention bounce in national polling . Various performers also appeared during the convention , including Demi Lovato , Alicia Keys , Lenny Kravitz and Katy Perry . The live announcer for the four day event was Sylvia Villagran .   The convention was not without controversy , as it was subject to various conflicts between supporters of the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders and the Democratic Party . In the week prior to the convention , various emails from the Democratic National Committee , the governing body of the Democratic Party , were leaked and published , allegedly showing bias against the Sanders ' campaign on the part of the Committee and its chair , Debbie Wasserman Schultz . Schultz subsequently resigned as chair of the Committee , and thus as chair of the Democratic National Convention , with Congresswoman Marcia Fudge taking up the role of Convention chair . Some delegates in support of Sanders staged protests both outside and on the floor of the convention , opposing the nomination of Clinton and Kaine as the party 's nominees for president and vice president , respectively .   Clinton and Kaine would go on to lose the general election to Republican ticket of Donald Trump and his running mate Mike Pence in the electoral college , despite winning the popular vote by two percentage points .