Hawaii’s new Democratic Party chairman, Tim Vandeveer, is a former unexploded-ordnance technician, which is a good thing, because today’s party is a ticking time bomb.

Vandeveer, active in the Keep the Country Country movement that fought to block development along the Windward and North Shore Oahu areas, over the weekend won election as party chairman, thanks to hundreds of enthusiastic Sen. Bernie Sanders supporters joining the party.

With Sanders’ troops inside, old-time Democrats are asking what do they want and will they stay.

Talking with Sanders delegates at the Hawaii Democratic Party convention shows they are a new type of political supporter. They were drawn to the Democratic Party because of Sanders’ support for the issues that resonate with them. There is no loyalty to the party because it is the Democratic Party.

“Although I lean Democratic and very liberal, I always vote my conscience and I support candidates that care about the environment, education and health care,” said Justine Haltom, a Sanders supporter.

For many Sanders supporters at the convention, the defining issue is who they will support for president if Sanders isn’t on the ballot. As it stands today, political-tracking news services such as Fivethirtyeight.com and Bloomberg Politics predict that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will win the nomination on June 7, taking delegates in the California and New Jersey primaries.

“I dislike Hillary. I would never support her; she broke the law,” said Eric Schrager a retired Navy officer.

Explaining that this past weekend was his first time attending a political convention and his first time in politics, Schrager called it, “My chance to make a difference.”

But, he will not support Clinton for president.

Like Haltom, Schrager said he is likely to vote for Jill Stein, who is a Green Party presidential candidate.

“It could be a seamless transition to the Green Party,” said Schrager.

Lisa Grandinetti, another Sanders delegate who won’t vote for Clinton, said “party unity means going along with the establishment. If it is Hillary, I’m leaning towards not voting.”

The only Sanders supporter encountered who said he would switch to Clinton if she wins the nomination was 21-year-old Jaren McCartney, “because there is danger in not voting for Hillary; now is not the time to stray away from the Democratic Party.”

That is the argument made by party veterans like Sen. Mazie Hirono.

“I hope they will support our eventual nominee, because if that doesn’t happen, it creates the potential for Donald Trump to become president. I consider a potential President Trump to be very, very serious,” said Hirono.

Democrats falling away and not voting or voting for a third-party candidate would weaken Clinton’s overall support, making the GOP votes more important.

On a local level, bringing those new Sanders supporters into the Democratic mainstream without driving away party regulars means the party has to both change and not change. That is the sort of stalemate likely to lead to a Democratic Party with less and less relevance.

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Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.