Newsletter: Your Essential Politics guide to Day 1 at the Democratic National Convention

I’m Christina Bellantoni, here with your Essential Politics guide to the Democratic National Convention. Tonight’s theme is United Together, and like last week’s Republican confab, there are clear indications unity is still a lofty goal for some.

As Hillary Clinton heads into her four-day coronation, disaffected Sen. Bernie Sanders fans don’t intend to allow things to happen easily. And they got fresh evidence following the Wikileaks-prompted resignation of Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz that the system actually was rigged against their man during the primary season.

As Matt Pearce writes in his reporter’s journal from the streets of Philadelphia, the news Schultz would split was welcomed by Sanders supporters gathering in protest ahead of tomorrow’s convention kickoff. They cheered “No more Debbie!” as they marched in sweltering heat.

Indications so far are that civil unrest outside the official activities might be much bigger than what Republicans saw in Cleveland, and we’ll be tracking all of it. Keep an eye on Pearce’s fast-paced diary, and on Trail Guide throughout the week. For 140-character or less updates, make sure to follow @latimespolitics.

RESHAPING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Ever since it became clear that Sanders wouldn’t win the Democratic primary, he’s made it his mission to change the party from within. And there are clear signs that he has been successful.

Chris Megerian reports from Philadelphia that the latest change was made on Saturday by the rules committee, which created a commission that will reduce the influence of superdelegates, who are elected leaders and party officials who can decide which presidential candidate to support. By the time the Democrats choose their next presidential nominee, the number of superdelegates could be reduced by two-thirds.

The party platform has already been updated to reflect several of Sanders’ priorities, including a $15-per-hour federal minimum wage, the expansion of Social Security and free tuition at public colleges for most students.

Sanders also scored a victory, given he was pushing to oust Schultz, whom he has long accused of failing to play an impartial role.

A BITTERSWEET TRIP

Pride, sadness, determination, anger -- delegates supporting Sanders are arriving in Philadelphia feeling a range of emotions. Many of them poured their hearts into the Vermont senator’s insurgent campaign, but now they’ll be watching from the convention floor as Clinton becomes the Democratic nominee. Some are ready to support Clinton, either enthusiastically or begrudgingly. But some remain raw after a difficult primary battle.

Sanders is among the headliners Monday night, along with First Lady Michelle Obama.

A NEW RUNNING MATE

Clinton selected Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine on Friday with a social media push, and their first campaign appearance Saturday went smoothly. What’s next will play out on the stage at the convention, and as some on the left agitate that they wanted someone more liberal.

Get to know Kaine in 60 seconds.

Mike Memoli details the elaborate measures Team Clinton went to to keep her choice a secret.

And don’t miss one from the archives as Kaine questioned Clinton about Benghazi on Capitol Hill.

LOOKING TO PHILLY

Clinton said Friday her convention would be very different from Donald Trump’s, proclaiming the Democratic Party’s goal for this week: “It’s about building bridges not walls.”

Our team will cover every minute on Trail Guide and do video wrap-ups each night. We’ll have you covered with bingo and a gavel-to-gavel livestream that will go live here at noon Pacific. Don’t miss a moment.

Unlike the GOP convention, the California delegation has a plum hotel assignment and speakers from the Golden State will get prominent billing all week. We’ll be all over it.

Here are a series of headlines to prepare for Day 1.

Hillary Clinton has all kinds of policies — that’s the problem as she seeks a coherent message

Gov. Jerry Brown, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti among 10 California Democrats who’ll speak at the convention

Elizabeth Warren among those added to updated list of Democratic National Convention speakers

RACIAL TENSION

Things also could get a little awkward among convention delegations from California after a nasty turn in the state’s U.S. Senate race to replace the retiring Barbara Boxer.

Orange County congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, in a taped Spanish-language interview in Sacramento, implied that President Obama endorsed her rival Kamala Harris because they are both black. The comment injects a jolt of racial tension into the historic race, which will send either California’s first black senator or first Latino senator to Washington.

For Sanchez, controversial comments are nothing new. This one may cause trouble for her uphill campaign against Harris, the clear front-runner who is in her second term as California’s attorney general.

GOP CONVENTION CATCHUP

Catch up with our quick scan of headlines as the balloons were cleaned up in Cleveland.

Donald Trump’s acceptance speech was watched by 35 million people

The L.A. Times team annotates Trump’s speech

California RNC delegate is 16th norovirus case, forced to remain in Ohio

California’s youngest Republican delegate is a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage UC Berkeley student

Ann Coulter warns California Republicans the nation could turn into California

Trump backer and convention speaker Tom Barrack once helped rescue Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch

Silicon Valley tech mogul Peter Thiel to make history as he declares he’s proud to be gay on the RNC stage

Thiel at GOP convention: ‘I am proud to be gay’

I had lunch with a right-wing white nationalist group at the Republican convention. Here’s what I learned

Voices of the GOP: Trump is ‘crass’ and ‘unprincipled,’ but ‘he’s the best hope we’ve got’

Trump just gave the longest nomination acceptance speech since at least 1972, beating out Bill Clinton

Republican convention crowds thinned as delegates went through stages of grief over Trump’s nomination

Here are the places where Donald Trump and the Republican Party disagree

In the Trump family tradition, Ivanka uses her moment in the spotlight to hawk her wares

WATCH THE CONVENTION WITH THE L.A. TIMES

Join me, Sacramento bureau chief John Myers and columnist Robin Abcarian at a free convention watch party on Thursday in downtown Los Angeles. The free event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Pacific and we will be playing bingo. RSVP here.

HIGH-SPEED RAIL’S BEST HOPE: TRUMP?

Trump and Gov. Jerry Brown may be polar opposites when it comes to party politics, but the Republican presidential nominee could be Brown’s best hope for his California high-speed rail project, which is losing steam among his fellow Democrats, George Skelton writes. Trump has said the U.S. is “like the third world” when it comes to its rail system, and issued a call to build “the railways of tomorrow” at last week’s GOP convention.

PROVISIONAL BALLOTS ON THE RISE

In general, elections officials use provisional ballots for the most unusual of circumstances -- times where a voter’s registration status can’t be easily determined on election day.

But they’re not that unusual any more in California.

As Sacramento bureau chief John Myers reports, more than 1 in 5 voters who showed up at a polling place in last month’s primary was given a provisional ballot. And elections officials are now considering whether California needs statewide guidelines -- not county by county procedures -- to regulate the use of provisional ballots.

For California political news not related to the convention over the next week, visit our Essential Politics news feed.

PODCAST: PHILADELPHIA PREVIEW

On this week’s California Politics Podcast, a look at what the state’s large Democratic delegation stands to gain from its pilgrimage to the City of Brotherly Love -- especially for Brown, the man who may be making this his national political swan song.

This week’s episode also examines the implications of the big U.S. Senate endorsement by Obama and the challenge ahead for Sanchez.

TODAY’S ESSENTIALS

-- San Fernando Valley Republican Mark Reed is running an uphill campaign against Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Porter Ranch). Thursday night he struggled with the same hurdle many down-ballot Republicans are confronted with: To what degree are you with Trump? Reed showed up at a Los Angeles Times viewing party, and the crowd forced him to clarify his wishy-washy stance on Trump. Spoiler: He is not endorsing his party’s nominee.

-- Melanie Mason got inside a Drew Carey fundraiser for Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson, and dishes all the details.

-- Brown denied parole Friday to Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted along with other members of Charles Manson’s cult in the 1969 killings of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.

-- Harris used her position as attorney general to jump on the “Pokemon Go” bandwagon Friday, issuing a release warning consumers to be careful while playing the game.

-- A federal judge indicated Friday that he would allow a lawsuit by former customers of Trump’s now-defunct real estate program, Trump University, to move forward.

-- Who will win the November election? Give our Electoral College map a spin.

LOGISTICS

Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox daily. And keep an eye on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics? Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to [email protected].