Vice President Kamala Harris is riding a wave of voter enthusiasm into the Democratic National Convention that has transformed the race against former President Donald Trump three months before the election.
The four-day convention in Chicago begins Monday, about a month after President Biden ended his reelection campaign as a growing number of Democrats questioned the octogenarian’s ability to handle the duties of commander in chief for another four years.
Democrats quickly united behind Harris, who named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.The convention begins Monday and runs through Thursday.
Keynote speeches and programming begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. CT) on Monday. Evening programming begins at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) Tuesday through Thursday.
Each night’s festivities are expected to end around 11 p.m. ET, or 10 p.m. CT.
Where is the Democratic National Convention?
This year’s convention is in Chicago, a Democratic stronghold that last hosted the nominating convention in 1996, when then-President Bill Clinton was running for reelection. Events will be held at two venues — the United Center, which will host speeches and other events in the evening, and McCormick Place, which will host official party business and meetings during the day.
Chicago is not in a battleground state, but the city is about an hour’s driving distance from Wisconsin and Michigan — two battlegrounds that are likely pivotal to Democrats’ ability to win the White House in November. Wisconsin and Michigan, both considered “blue wall” states, have historically supported Democrats but went for former President Donald Trump in the 2016 election before Mr. Biden took them back in 2020.
Nearby Minnesota, though not considered a battleground state, was seen as being competitive for Republicans this year, before Harris named Walz as her running mate.
When Democrats announced Chicago as the host city, they noted the region played a crucial role in Mr. Biden’s 2020 victory.
“The Midwest reflects America,” DNC chairman Jaime Harrison said last year.
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