Thousands of Democratic delegates have descended on Chicago for a four-day convention to crown Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee, a mood that contrasts with the mood that prevailed just weeks ago and was described by many as a “death march” to the November election.
Delegates from across the country told the Washington Examiner They are much more optimistic about the trip to Chicago than they were just a few weeks ago, describing a rollercoaster of emotions from the disastrous debate with President Joe Biden in late June to his decision to drop out at the end of July.
After the transition from Biden to Harris, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said the mood had shifted from a funeral to a party.
“Everyone is looking forward to this event that looked like a funeral a month ago and now looks like a big party and celebration as we elect the first female president,” said Poloncarz, a delegate from New York, who ^ “Washington Examiner”.
Poloncarz has attended every Democratic convention since 2004 and believes the enthusiasm for this convention is the greatest he has ever seen – even after that for Barack Obama in 2008.
“If you remember back in 2008, when Obama was the standard-bearer, there was a pretty tough battle between him and Hillary Clinton and others, including Joe Biden, and so not every delegate who went to that convention was an Obama delegate,” he said. “And while we were pretty enthusiastic when we left, there still wasn’t the same unanimity and general enthusiasm that we see now at this convention.”
Harris still has some work to do to bridge the divide between the party’s various factions, especially when it comes to Israel’s war in Gaza. Nearly 100 organizations are expected in Chicago to protest against Israel, as the war in Gaza has now been going on for ten months.
There are about 30 uncommitted delegates at the convention of about 4,600, adding some uncertainty to proceedings. Harris must now overcome new obstacles to continue her campaign’s initial momentum and appeal to a divided party while courting enough independent voters to prevail over former President Donald Trump and his MAGA base.
“We’ve been struggling and now we’re organizing. We’re moving forward in a really gratifying and exciting way,” said Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, a delegate from Maryland. “We were definitely on a death march in terms of our political situation and now it looks like we’re winning, although, you know, there’s still work to be done.”
Biden is scheduled to speak at the convention on Monday night, an opportunity for Democratic delegates to recognize the work of a president while also supporting a new candidate they hope will be next in line to win the White House.
DuWayne Gregory, a delegate from New York, was willing to stand by Biden and did not call for him to resign, but said he believed the president made the right decision.
“I think the energy that has been released since he left is clear evidence that people have been looking for something different – a younger or newer generation of leaders, and everyone is so excited,” Gregory told the ^ “Washington Examiner”. “People in Biden’s position don’t usually make decisions like this. So I think it’s really a reflection of his personality and that he puts the country above his personal ambitions.”
“That’s really impressive and I think another reason why I believe history will paint a positive picture of him,” he added.
Michaelle Solages, another delegate from New York, said she did not immediately jump on the Harris bandwagon but was convinced in a Zoom call with 44,000 black women.
“They talked about Harris’s historic significance, what she’s accomplished, her record. In talking with people in my community, it became clear to me that Harris was the best person,” Solanges explained. “I realized that this is a historic opportunity for us to promote someone who not only has tremendous experience as an elected official, but can also truly represent women’s values.”
Irene Bonham, a first-time delegate from Colorado, said she was excited to witness a historic event. Harris is only the second woman to top a presidential nomination and the first woman of color to do so.
“I’m so happy to see this ticket as a woman, as someone who participates in the democratic process and tries to model for my daughters what democracy looks like. I’m just so excited and ready to get to work,” she said.
Bonham said she would certainly be emotional to see Harris accept her nomination on Thursday.
“I’m going to cry like a baby and I’m proud of it,” she said. “History is being made here and to be in the room where that happens and hopefully one day be able to tell this story to my grandchildren means a lot to me.”
A Monmouth University poll released last week found a rise in enthusiasm among registered Democrats and a significant increase among independents as well. In June, less than half of registered Democrats said they were enthusiastic about a Biden-Trump rematch. But in the most recent poll, conducted between August 8 and 12, that number rose to 85%. Enthusiasm among independents also rose, from 34% in June to 53% in early August. Among registered Republicans, enthusiasm remained the same at 71% in both polls.
“She’s bringing so much sunshine to the Democratic Party, and not just in California. Look at Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada,” said Deborah Cunningham-Skurnik, a delegate from California who also serves as the state’s Democratic Party regional director. “The amount of people that have come out … spontaneously and organically. Their crowds start chanting things, and it’s like, ‘Wow!'”
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Sandra Lowe, another delegate from California, said delegation members were excited that the Democratic candidate was from their home state.
“Everyone is very excited,” said Lowe, the former mayor of Sonoma. “A lot of people who didn’t apply for a delegate position are now disappointed because they would have loved to be there – there’s a little bit of FOMO going on.”
