It was historic. It felt historic. Kamala Harris became the presidential nominee for the Democratic Party on Thursday night, delivering a rousing and confident acceptance speech after a full week of rocket-like momentum driven by a nonstop stream of political stars in Chicago’s United Center.
Harris relayed her own very American story as the child of two immigrants from widely disparate cultures who came to America chasing their own dreams. “The path that led me here in recent weeks was unexpected, but I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys,” she said as she effectively reintroduced herself to voters.
She detailed her career in public service, as a prosecutor, San Francisco District Attorney, Attorney General of California, then Senator and eventually Vice President. “To be clear, my entire career, I’ve only had one client: the people,” she said.
She contrasted this to Donald Trump, who Harris reminded viewers is a felon and a billionaire who only “fights for himself and his billionaire friends.” And in a particularly deft moment, she expressed full throated support for Israel and for Palestinian independence, while also calling for the release of all hostages taken by Hamas and the end of the war Gaza.
Ultimately, the Vice President sought to reclaim for Democrats concepts like patriotism and military support as well as issues related to the border, arguing for a vision of American based on cooperation and community and safety, and freedom.
That theme of freedom in particular has resonated with supporters since Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee a month ago. The campaign has heavily emphasized the fight for abortion rights and the multicultural nature of American culture, as well as the right to vote.
Indeed, before the night’s programming even began, a substantial portion of the audience filed in dressed all in white — save for Harris’ Alpha Kappa Alpha sisters, who proudly wore their pink, green and pearls — in honor of the suffragette movement that earned women the right to vote.
For many women in the United Center on Thursday night, it wasn’t their first convention. But they unanimously agreed that any previous ones couldn’t compare to Chicago’s event, as Harris’ campaign has energized the base and united the party.
Staci Fox attended the 2008 convention as a delegate for Florida, and told TheWrap that even though “you knew there was something really special that night… there is no comparison.”
On the fourth night of the convention, and almost exactly one month after President Biden officially dropped out, Fox added that the excitement was just as palpable for Harris as the day he endorsed her as his successor.
“It’s almost like we just found out still, we’re still getting used to the news,” she said. “And let’s just hope that things hang on for 75 more days.”
Similarly, Donna West — a current Nevada delegate — attended the 2016 convention and noted that it was far less unified among the Democratic party.
“There were still a lot of Bernie supporters, and so there were, you know, both groups in the audience,” she recalled to TheWrap on Wednesday. “Here, it’s much more united. There’s so much more energy.”
She added that a lot was learned from the Trump administration, and the renewed excitement of the Harris/Walz ticket has been “contagious.”
“Trying to describe this to people at home that want to know what it’s like to be in the room, because I guess it’s amazing on TV, I said, ‘Well, it’s a thousand times more exciting sitting there,’” she added.
For Sonjui Kumar, a member of the South Asians for Harris organization — which a month ago was South Asians for Biden — this week did mark her first convention. For her and her fellow members, Harris’ candidacy is extra personal.
“I mean, any South Asian — and I’m a lawyer — any South Asian lawyer will give you a story about knowing Kamala Harris for the last two decades,” she told TheWrap on Thursday. “She has been part of the legal community, the South Asian community, and a force for Black communities for her whole career.”
Kumar added that “there is no duplication” of the energy in the room, nor of the impact Harris has had on the organization.
“She’s created unity even within the South Asian community,” Kumar said, explaining that the group often varies in political ideologies.
That unity was something Harris echoed in her acceptance speech, saying “We have so much more in common than what separates us. In unity there is strength.”
Stella Camerlengo was also attending her first political convention at just 19 years old, preparing to vote in the presidential election for the first time in her life. In fact, she was the youngest delegate from Michigan at the event, and the communications director for the Michigan College Democrats.
“It has been electric,” she told TheWrap as the crowd waited for the first speakers to take the stage on Thursday night.
For her, it was “refreshing” and “empowering” to see a younger candidate step in — particularly a female one.
“The past 46 presidents, we’ve had a man, upon a man, upon a man, upon a man. And they truly don’t know what it’s like to experience life as a woman,” she lamented.
But more than that, Camerlengo was delighted at the fact that she sees “a little bit of myself” in Harris.
“It makes me so emotional even thinking about it,” she said.
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