Sanders Endorses Clinton, But Colorado’s Democratic Delegates Are Still Split

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Photo: Democratic National Convention Philadelphia
The 2016 Democratic National Convention opens July 25 in Philadelphia.

After a long primary battle, Democrat Bernie Sanders endorsed presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton Tuesday.

"She will be the Democratic nominee for president and I intend to do everything I can to make certain she will be the next president of the United States," Sanders said at a rally with Clinton in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

But not everybody is on board. Colorado State Rep. Joe Salazar of Thornton is a Sanders delegate to the convention. He praised Sanders' speech but said he personally isn't ready to endorse Clinton, citing her positions on trade and criminal justice.

“My endorsement means that I believe that she believes in the same principles and values that I have," Salazar told Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner. "And at this point there are a couple of things, a number of things, that I think she still needs to work on.”

State House Majority Leader Crisanta Duran of Denver, a Clinton backer, said Sanders' endorsement was good for party unity and that he had influenced Clinton on key issues including health care and a plan for free college tuition for families of four with incomes of $125,000 or less.

"At the end of the day, Democrats want to come together to advance the right polices for our country," Duran said.

Click the audio player above to hear the full conversation.