SANTA FE, N.M.—Gov. Bill Richardson said Monday the Democratic National Convention will help unify the party and resolve problems that have kept some supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton from backing the presumptive nominee, Barack Obama.
“The convention is a place where the party comes together,” Richardson said at a news conference before heading to Denver for the convention.
The governor is scheduled to speak at the convention Wednesday about foreign policy and national security. Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, delivers the main prime-time speech that night.
Richardson said “there was a little disappointment” in not being selected by Obama for the vice presidential position but he said Biden was a “good, strong choice.”
“The alternative for me is governor of New Mexico, a job that I love,” Richardson said.
The governor said he has had no conversation with Obama about a possible administration job if the Democrat wins the White House in November.
Richardson dropped out of the presidential race in early January and endorsed Obama in March.
The governor said he will be “very active on the campaign trail” for Obama and will focus mainly on New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada and Florida. Each of those states has a significant Hispanic population. Richardson is the nation’s only Hispanic governor.
Richardson said “we still need to continue bringing the party together” after the hard fought primaries between Obama and Clinton.
In New Mexico, he said, “a good step forward” was Clinton’s recent campaign stop for Obama in Espanola.
“Events like those help heal the wounds that have happened but are now rapidly dissipating,” said Richardson. “I think you’re going to see a very unified convention.”
