Chicago: The Democratic National Convention this week marks the ceremonial crowning of Vice-President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as the party’s presidential nominees, capping off a whirlwind month for Democrats who quickly coalesced behind the new ticket after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July.
Democrats are riding high heading into the convention, held on Monday through Thursday in Chicago, with Harris gaining on the lead Republican Donald Trump has held for much of the race. Since Biden stepped down as the nominee, there has been fresh interest in the convention from celebrities, young people and donors energized by Harris and Walz.
Harris, 59, is the first Black woman and first Asian American to be a major party presidential nominee. Walz, a teacher-turned politician who was little-known before Harris tapped him as her running mate, has garnered attention for his folksy mannerisms and went viral for calling Trump and his running mate JD Vance “weird.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the week:
How to watch?
Official programming will take place throughout the day, and major TV networks including CNN, ABC, NBC and PBS will broadcast portions of the convention with live commentary. The convention will be streamed on the DNC’s website as well as on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, a first in the gathering’s history, according to the DNC.
Prime-time programming will air live from Chicago’s United Center between 7 and 11 p.m. New York time, or 6-10 p.m. local time, Tuesday through Thursday. Monday’s programming will begin slightly earlier at 6:15pm New York time, ending at 11pm.
What to expect?
Each night will feature several speeches from Democratic party leaders and allies. Here’s a sampling of who is scheduled to speak each night:
Former President Bill Clinton, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are also slated to speak during the week.
Delegates have already officially voted in a virtual roll call to name Harris as the party’s nominee. However on Tuesday, the party will hold a ceremonial roll call vote where the state delegations will make brief remarks intended to highlight the diversity of the party nationwide.
The convention also attracts celebrities, who attend the official proceedings or other events on the sidelines. Musician John Legend, the stars of television show RuPaul’s Drag Race, Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and soccer player Ali Krieger are set to descend on the Windy City to show their support.
Republican nominee Donald Trump is planning a swing-state blitz, including a visit to the US-Mexico border on Thursday, in an attempt to siphon attention away from Harris.
What is Harris’ platform?
Releasing the party’s platform, or agenda of policy priorities, is a time-honored tradition at the convention. Democratic leaders and stakeholders negotiate the contents of the document, which signals what issues are important to the party. Democrats released their final 2024 platform Sunday night for delegates to vote on Monday. A draft version had been released in July when Biden was still in the race.
Harris has begun unveiling her campaign agenda, releasing a plan earlier this month that calls for expanding child tax credits, offering tax incentives for home-buyers and proposing ways to reduce the cost of food and prescription drugs. She has also endorsed a proposal to exempt tipped wages from federal taxes, an idea Trump has backed.
What do polls say about the matchup between Harris and Trump?
Recent polls show a tight race. A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll conducted from July 24-28 found Harris leading Trump 48% to 47% among voters across seven swing states “- a statistical dead heat.
A poll released Sunday shows that Harris leads Trump narrowly in a head-to-head matchup, 49% to 45%, among registered voters nationally. The same poll, from the Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos, showed a near-tie in early July when Biden was the candidate.
What will security be like? Will there be protesters?
There will be increased police presence, security measures and road closures, particularly around Chicago’s United Center arena and McCormick Place Convention Center in the days ahead of, during and immediately following the convention, according to the city, which has worked together with the US Secret Service and its state and local partners.
The city has signaled it is bracing for protests over the war in Gaza. Pro-Palestinian groups are planning a mass demonstration urging followers to “Shut Down the DNC for Gaza!” and decrying Harris over her support for Israel in its war against Hamas.
The worries about protests are exacerbated by memories of two events that rocked Chicago: The Vietnam War protests that erupted into police brutality when the city hosted the 1968 Democratic convention and the riots that spread across town in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd.
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