DNC to honor Biden, layout Harris agenda
Washington — The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday in Chicago, where the party is set to rally around its new presidential ticket after Vice President Kamala Harris officially became the Democratic nominee earlier this month.
Less than a month after President Biden announced he would step aside, shaking up the presidential race, Democrats from across the country are descending on Chicago’s United Center and McCormick Place for the convention, where the party will ceremonially anoint Harris — and her new running mate — as the party’s nominees. Mr. Biden will address the convention on Monday evening.
The bulk of Democratic delegates voted to select Harris as the party’s nominee early this month, cementing her status atop the ticket during a virtual roll call vote ahead of the convention. DNC leaders then certified Harris as the nominee, along with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“Now the eyes of the world turn to Chicago, where our delegates will celebrate this historic ticket with a ceremonial roll call and tell the story of Vice President Harris, Governor Walz, and the Democratic Party as we prepare to defeat Donald Trump once again,” convention chair Minyon Moore said in a statement when the nominations were certified.
With the newly formed Democratic ticket, Harris and Walz are expected to continue their introduction to the party at the convention, with less than three months to go before the election. Along with speeches from big names in the party, Walz will officially accept the vice presidential nomination Wednesday night, and Harris will take the stage on the final night of the convention on Thursday to formally accept the presidential nomination.
What’s on the agenda?
Each day of the convention features a theme related to the tagline, “For the People, For Our Future.” Monday’s theme is centered on the “For the People” element, where the party will outline how they argue Democrats have put the people first under the Biden-Harris administration while contrasting the record and the Harris-Walz ticket with former President Donald Trump’s record.
Mr. Biden’s time in office and decades in Washington are also expected to be featured prominently on Monday, as the party seeks to honor the president — and his decision to step aside — while celebrating its new standard bearer.
Anita Dunn, a former senior adviser to Mr. Biden who left the White House last month to join the main super PAC supporting Harris, said the president sees his role in the campaign as “volunteer-in-chief” and is determined to ensure Trump is defeated in November.
“Where we are today is a unified party that is excited, that is energized, that is looking forward but also recognizes that this is a very tough race and that we have to go out and do the work and win it,” she said in an interview with “CBS Mornings” before the convention kicked off Monday.
Convention programming will be held from 6:15 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, or 5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. CT, on Monday. The ceremonial roll call vote is slated to begin on Tuesday, when delegates from around the country will come together to nominate Harris.
Who’s speaking?
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will address the convention Monday night, as will first lady Jill Biden and Mr. Biden, who will deliver the keynote address on the first night. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the party’s 2016 nominee, is also expected to speak on Monday night.
Leaders of several of the largest labor unions in the country will also have primetime speaking slots as the party continues its political overtures to a crucial voting block. The heads of major labor unions will also deliver remarks, including the presidents of the United Automobile Workers, SEIU and AFL-CIO.
Here’s the full list of DNC speakers for Monday:
- Minyon Moore, convention committee chair
- Jaime Harrison, chairman of the Democratic National Committee
- Brandon Johnson, mayor of Chicago
- Peggy Flanagan, the lieutenant governor of Minnesota
- Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois
- Rep. Robert Garcia of California
- Labor leaders Lee Saunders (AFSCME); April Verrett (SEIU); Brent Booker (LiUNA); Kenneth Cooper (IBEW); Claude Cummings Jr. (CWA); Elizabeth Shuler (AFL-CIO)
- Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow
- Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce
- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul
- Shawn Fain, president of the United Automobile Workers
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York
- Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic nominee
- Rep. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina
- Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland
- Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas
- Rep. Grace Meng of New York
- Women from states with abortion restrictions: Amanda and Josh Zurawski; Kaitlyn Joshua; and Hadley Duvall
- Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky
- Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia
- Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware
- First lady Jill Biden
- Ashley Biden
- President Biden
How to watch the 2024 DNC with cable
CBS television stations will have coverage beginning at 10 p.m. ET during the four days. Find your local CBS station here.
How to watch the 2024 DNC without cable
CBS News 24/7 will have coverage of the convention throughout the day and will stream each night’s keynote speeches, and can also be viewed on your mobile or streaming device. A livestream of the convention will be available on the DNC’s website, along with platforms like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.
