Sarasota Democratic Party Chairwoman Christine Jennings could barely contain her enthusiasm on Wednesday. A member of Hillary Clinton’s national finance committee, Jennings spent Tuesday unworried about whether the Democratic presidential candidate would lock up a majority of pledged delegates, but concerned whether California, the largest state in the union, would go to challenger Bernie Sanders. Polls showed a tight race, but by the time votes were tabulated Wednesday, Clinton had won 55.8 percent of the vote in the state. Now, she’s ready to fight for votes in November. “I think truly the intelligent people of Sarasota will vote for Hillary,” she said.

It’s a bold assertion, especially when the state headquarters for Donald Trump, who clinched the Republican nomination for president last month, sits in Downtown Sarasota. Joe Gruters, chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota and of Trump’s Florida campaign, said his party enters the election season strong. “People are front and center supporting Trump,” Gruters said. 

In the end, both national parties had lengthy and contentious primary seasons. Graters said hurt feelings have lingered, but that most Republican voters are already coming around to backing the nominee. For the Democratic side, wounds are more fresh, and while Jennings expects the party here to coalesce behind the presumptive nominee, she said that will come in time. “It hurts to lose,” she said. “It’s like a death.” Asked whether she thought it was important Sanders endorse Clinton, Jennings said it will happen, but there is no rush and he can wait as long as need be, even if that means waiting until the Democratic National Convention in July. “He’ll do it in his time,” she said. “He’s committed to Democratic principles and values, and he certainly doesn’t want Trump.”