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Aug 18, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Overall view of the convention hall during preparations before the Democratic National Convention at United Center. The DNC program will kick off on Monday with four days of ceremonies.
The Democratic National Convention begins on Monday in Chicago, a little less than a month after President Joe Biden ended his campaign for reelection and catapulted Vice President Kamala Harris toward the Democratic presidential nomination.
Where things stand: As the party gathers and formally celebrates nominating a woman of color for president for the first time in US history, Harris will seek to build on her campaign’s early momentum. The vice president far outpaced former President Donald Trump in fundraising last month and has continued to rake in tens of millions of dollars — particularly after tapping Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Recent polls also show that Harris is pulling ahead of Trump in key swing states. According to the Cook Political Report, Harris is ahead in Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, tied with Trump in Georgia, while Trump leads in Nevada.
But the race is not in the bag. Harris’ lead is within the margin of polling error in most of those states, and a lot can happen between now and November. One recent poll shows that voters trust Trump more on issues like the economy and immigration, so Harris still faces significant challenges.
Policies and momentum: Harris began sharing some components of her policy agenda in the run-up to the DNC, outlining plans for building an “opportunity economy” with a ban on price gouging and tools for making housing more affordable, such as down payment assistance for first-time buyers. Harris also proposed restoring the COVID-era child tax credit of $3,600 per child for middle- and lower-class families and expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit for those in lower-income jobs.
This week’s convention offers the vice president an opportunity to fully lay out her agenda and convince voters she can chart a better course than Trump. She will likely seek to balance defending the work of the Biden administration while explaining how she will take a fresh approach to the presidency.
As Harris and Walz vie to boost the Democratic ticket, the convention is also set to face major protests over US support for Israel amid the devastating war in Gaza. Though this issue is unlikely to sway the election, it will hang heavy over the week’s proceedings. Biden has faced fierce criticism from young voters and progressives over his approach to the war, and Harris has already been forced to confront protesters along the campaign trail. Meanwhile, Chicago authorities and event organizers hope to avoid a repeat of the infamous 1968 riots the city faced during the Democratic National Convention that year.
Who’s speaking? Some of the biggest names in the Democratic Party are set to speak at this year’s convention, including Biden, who will deliver the keynote address on Monday night. First lady Jill Biden will also speak Monday, while Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and second gentleman Doug Emhoff are scheduled to address the DNC on Tuesday.
Former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are also among the confirmed speakers. We’ll be watching to see how the party meets this historic moment, and whether the convention helps Harris sustain and expand on the energy surrounding her campaign.