Democrats open their convention transformed by Harris’ rise, but face lingering questions

CHICAGO – A reinvigorated Democratic Party reintroduces itself to a divided nation this week, transformed by the money, momentum, relief and even joy that have followed Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascent to its top.

The last month’s whiplash culminates with a convention starting Monday in Chicago. Above all, the four-day gathering of thousands of activists and party leaders from across the country is designed to celebrate and bolster Harris as President Joe Biden’s replacement and boost his campaign to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November.

Just beneath the surface, real questions loom about the depth of Harris’ new support, the breadth of her coalition and the strength of her movement. Not even a month ago, Democrats were deeply divided over foreign policy, political strategy and Biden himself, who has held on after his disastrous debate to suggest he has a better chance than any Democrat — including Harris — of beat trump

Far from the formality that many modern party conventions have become, this week’s event will bring many Americans their first extended look at Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. How Democrats present Harris and Walz will be critical, especially as Trump launches a week-long effort to water down their message.

A potential distraction will be thousands of progressive protesters expected to descend on Chicago to denounce the Biden-Harris administration’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Harris’ allies hope the pro-Palestinian protesters will not overshadow the official program, which features a roster of current and former Democratic stars.

“Democrats go into that convention fired up, excited and united,” said one of those stars, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was a finalist to be Harris’ running mate. “And it’s extremely important that we pursue the case against Donald Trump and the chaos that he would bring — and leave that convention even more unified, and more excited, and more excited for the last 75 days of this campaign.”

Shapiro said he welcomed protesters during the convention — “as long as the protest is peaceful, as long as the protest respects the rules of the community.”

Biden will say goodbye on Monday

Part of Harris and Walz’s presentation will first be to offer a graceful exit to the 81-year-old sitting president, who is scheduled to deliver the keynote address on Monday.

The Democratic Party would likely have been in much worse shape if Biden had continued to cling to the nomination. He faced growing concerns about his mental and physical acuity after he struggled to complete sentences in debate.

By deciding to step aside and endorse Harris, the 81-year-old president will instead receive a hero’s welcome in his final stint in the spotlight, 52 years after being elected to the Delaware Senate.

Biden plans to make a lengthy endorsement of Harris and harsh criticism of Trump before he leaves Chicago and makes way for the program to focus on the vice president he chose four years ago.

Trump tried to inflame tensions over Biden’s exit. He called Biden’s Monday speaking slot the “Death Valley of the convention,” suggesting the president would draw lower ratings than speakers on other nights. And as he has done for weeks, Trump described the convention itself as “rigged” because it was Biden, not Harris, who won 14 million primary votes and picked up state-by-state delegates.

“He didn’t get the votes,” Trump said.

A focus on Harris’ premiums — and an open hand to Republicans

The convention will be based on the party’s potential to make history. Harris is vying to be the first woman, the first black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to reach the Oval Office.

“I wasn’t sure I would see this particular moment in my life, to see a black woman who is now on the verge of becoming our next president,” said Lt. Gov. Illinois Juliana Stratton, one of the nation’s highest ranked. Black women chosen.

Stratton recalled Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump eight years ago, one in which she lost key battlegrounds even as she led the national popular vote.

“I remember in 2016 when we hit the glass ceiling, and the reaction of the Republicans was just to start destroying the rights that got us there,” Stratton said. “This is another chance.”

Harris will try to use the convention to take some of the credit for what she and Biden have accomplished while also trying to show that she recognizes that voters want more. Heading to Chicago, she unveiled initial plans for her policy platform focused on tackling biting inflation and the costs of food, housing and childcare.

Democrats will keep abortion access top of mind for voters, betting the issue will propel them to victory, as it has in other key races since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.

Every living Democratic president and first lady will appear this week, except for the ailing Jimmy Carter, along with a long list of federal, state and local officials and activists.

It’s set to be a contrast to last month’s GOP convention in Milwaukee, where former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Mike Pence, among other prominent Republicans, stayed away from the event given Trump’s dislike of them.

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican who investigated Trump’s actions surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol uprising and endorsed Harris, is expected to speak this week.

The presidential race is still very close

With precious few days left before early voting begins in some places in September, recent polls show a close race nationally and in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. And polls show Trump still has advantages in how Americans view the two on core issues like the economy and immigration.

Terry McAuliffe, a former Virginia governor and longtime operative who will attend his 13th Democratic convention this week, warned that Democrats’ euphoria about Harris’ rise could obscure the true state of the campaign.

He noted that the Republican convention in Milwaukee was a true coronation of Trump, with Democrats consumed by anxiety and uncertainty. Now it’s Trump who appears to be reeling as he searches for the right message to halt Harris’ rise.

The lesson, McAuliffe said, is to never assume a campaign is settled and to always remember that the outcome hinges on getting 270 votes in the Electoral College by winning the right battleground states.

The former president is not giving in to the Democrats this week. He will go to a different swing state each day – starting with Pennsylvania, followed by Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada by the end of the week.

Trump’s campaign also sent key allies to Chicago to host daily press conferences. The lineup includes Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds.

“We have four days of messages that the country will be able to look at Kamala Harris, look at Tim Walz. We’ll be able to look at their agenda, what they stand for, who we are,” McAuliffe said. “It will be a close election. This is what our country is like today.”

Whatever happens this week, both sides will be eagerly watching as Harris writes a new chapter in what has already been a record-breaking campaign.

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Barrow reported from Atlanta. AP writer Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.