Anika Begay
People stand in front of a sign featuring Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at the United Center before the start of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Friday.
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Image by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The Democratic National Convention will begin Monday in Chicago, a month after Republicans held their convention in Milwaukee. Democratic organizers had to completely rework the programming for the DNC after President Biden dropped out of the race in late July and endorsed Vice President Harris as his replacement on the ticket.
But leaders inside the DNC say they are harnessing the energy that Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have brought to the race, and they hope to keep the momentum going at this week’s convention and beyond.
Here’s what you need to know.
When will the convention be held?
The convention will run from Monday, August 19 through Thursday, August 22. Convention programming will be broadcast live from the United Center in Chicago from 6:15 PM to 11:00 PM ET on Mondays and from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM ET on other days.
What will we see this week?
The convention is expected to attract approximately 50,000 visitors, including approximately 4,000 delegates.
Democrats are hoping to present themselves as completely united behind Harris and Walz, after divisions emerged in the party over Biden’s presidential bid in July, following his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker will welcome Democrats to the host city with speeches Monday and Tuesday, respectively. The convention will livestream events on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok as part of an effort to expand its reach to young voters and online influencers.
What will the message be?
The convention’s theme is “For the People, For Our Future.” Democrats will argue that a Harris-Walz ticket is in the best interest of the American people, their freedoms, and their future, while showcasing the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration. The Harris campaign will also pit their ticket against Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, who they say are taking America backwards.
Daily themes reflect this broader message:
- Monday: “For the People”
- Tuesday: “A Bold Vision for America’s Future”
- Wednesday: “A Fight for Our Freedoms”
- Thursday: “For our future”
What will happen every day?
Workers arrange balloons before they are lifted off the floor of the United Center for the DNC in Chicago on Friday. Official programming begins Monday.
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Organizers of the Democratic National Convention have yet to announce the full list of speakers for each night.
Harris will arrive at the convention shortly after a weekend bus tour of Pennsylvania. She will also hold a rally Tuesday in Milwaukee, the same city where Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination last month. The bus tour and Milwaukee event are clear indicators that Harris’ campaign is eager to campaign aggressively in so-called blue-wall states that could help her win the presidency.
But one of the most important items traditionally on a convention to-do list — formally nominating the party’s pick for president — has already been taken care of after delegates gathered for a virtual roll call earlier this month to get ahead of Ohio’s ballot certification deadlines. While Harris is technically already the nominee, the DNC will have to certify the vote, and Harris will formally accept the nomination by the end of the week’s events.
Harris and Walz, along with top Democratic leaders, are expected to lay out their policy vision in more detail, including their positions on price increases and expanding the child tax credit, which they unveiled last week.
Who will be there?
Political heavyweights will speak, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the top two Democrats in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will also be speaking at the convention.
Furthermore, Vice President Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus will host a panel with the Democratic Governors Association focusing on female governors in the United States
The Republican National Convention was just a month ago. What has changed since then?
So much. Republicans were more united than ever at their convention, which came just days after Trump survived an assassination attempt. Biden was still in the running, and Trump’s campaign was exploiting the divisions Democrats were facing over Biden’s candidacy.
But the tide seems to have turned in Democrats’ favor, at least for now. There’s excitement about Harris’s campaign in ways Biden never had, and that’s reflected in Harris gaining ground in the same key states where Biden was trailing.
What kind of counterprogramming should we expect from the Trump campaign?
The Trump campaign announced Saturday that Vance, Trump’s running mate, will hold a news conference Tuesday on crime and safety in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the same city where Jacob Blake’s shooting sparked civil unrest and mass protests in 2020.
In a press conference on Friday, Trump campaign advisers said they expect more information about Trump and Vance’s policy plans in the coming days.
How can I tune into the convention?
Visit NPR.org for live video, analysis and fact-checking; listen and watch NPR’s special coverage on many public radio stations. Subscribe to NPR’s Politics Podcast for a post-convention recap every evening. And sign up for the NPR Political News to get the analysis of the week.
