FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — With more than 50,000 people expected to come to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, there are growing concerns about security.
“We’re looking at all options. We’ve worked very well with our partners at the federal level, but also our partners at the state and local level, our partners at the county level, and shown great cooperation on things like this. We want to make sure we’re prepared for whatever happens,” said Larry Snelling of the Chicago Police Department.
In 1968, Chicago hosted the Democratic National Convention, an event that ended in violent clashes between protesters and police.
Larry Snelling of the Chicago Police Department said law enforcement has looked at past mistakes and is confident such an incident will not happen again.
It took 28 years until the Windy City hosted the DNC again in 1996.
Local Democratic delegates are now heading to town and said they are ready to represent the Central Valley.
“There is so much enthusiasm for our presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her historic achievement of being the first woman of color on the national stage,” said Eric Payne, a Democratic delegate from Fresno.
He believes that Kamala Harris will bring about real change in the country.
“She proposes a $25,000 federal subsidy for down payment assistance programs and a path to homeownership for the average American. This is what we want to do, you know, really change the direction of our country so that we can achieve the American dream,” Payne said.
But Connie Conway, chairwoman of the Tulare County Republican Party, has questions about such a program.
“The problem is, where do you get that money? Who’s going to pay for it? And I think for taxpayers who are barely able to feed their families right now, I think it has a lot to do with inflation. You can blame others, but I don’t think Bidenomics has been anyone’s friend,” Conway said.
Conway said no matter which candidate wins this election, he will have to stimulate the economy.
Harris and her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, have acknowledged the challenges ahead.
According to a recent poll, Harris has a perceived advantage over former President Trump on leadership qualities such as honesty, but Americans are more inclined to trust Trump on economic and immigration issues.
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