CLEVELAND – The anti-Trump movement has been vocal at the Republican National Convention, engaging in a disruptive chanting battle against other party factions during a procedural vote Monday.

But some of the 2,472 delegates set to choose a presidential nominee said they don’t expect many fireworks when the vote finally comes Tuesday night.

“I think it will be smooth, I really do,” said Pennsylvania state Rep. Judy Ward, a delegate from that state’s 9th Congressional District. “There are some grumblings, but I think it will go very smoothly, and Donald Trump will be our nominee.

“We’re all excited about that,” she said. “There’s a lot of energy here about Donald Trump as our nominee.”

Trump enters the process as the presumptive nominee, having won more than 1,500 delegates from throughout the states and territories during GOP primaries and caucuses this spring.

He needs the support of 1,237 delegates to secure the majority in Tuesday night’s roll-call vote.

An anti-Trump movement within the GOP agitated to change the convention rules and allow delegates to support candidates of their choice, instead of voting to reflect the will of voters back home.

James Vasilko, a delegate from Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District and president of Johnstown Construction Services, criticized that effort.

“I think, really, as a delegate, you’re not the one who’s selecting the nominee,” said Vasilko.

“You’re the one that’s representing the people that selected the nominee,” he said. “I think that’s the problem with some of these ‘Never Trump’ people and the people that think they can take over the convention to nominate other people that their people that they represent didn’t actually pick.”

Senator skips convention

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., is skipping this week’s Republican National Convention in the neighboring Buckeye State, opting instead to campaign at home in Pennsylvania.

Sent to the Senate in a narrow election in November 2010, Toomey is attempting to hold onto his seat in a close general election race against Democrat Katie McGinty.

Toomey has not endorsed Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, whose bombastic statements have created consternation among some in the GOP.

Dozens of Republican luminaries – governors, U.S. senators, members of Congress, and former presidential candidates – are nowhere to be seen as delegates gather in Cleveland

Asked during a recent conference call if he would attend the convention if there were a different nominee, Toomey said, “That’s a hypothetical. I don’t know what I’d be doing under a different set of circumstances that don’t exist.

“Under the circumstances we have, I’m going to be campaigning in Pennsylvania,” he said.

Dave Sutor is a reporter for The Johnstown, Pa., Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Sutor.