Somerville DNC Delegate Fulfills Family Legacy

CHARLOTTE — Keri Lorenzo is among 5,500 Democratic delegates in North Carolina this week to nominate President Obama for a second term.

For the Somerville native, casting her vote this week is all about fulfilling a long family history of supporting Democratic candidates. It started when her family fled Portugal to escape fascism.

"It's just been a tradition in our family to be involved in Democratic politics," Lorenzo said. "My family fled facism (when Kennedy was President) and so that makes it really serious in my family to be a Democrat."

Democrats gaveled their three-day convention to order on Tuesday. President Obama is set to accept the party's nomination before a crowd of 70,000 at Bank of America Stadium Thursday evening.