From ‘funeral’ to party: Democratic delegates arrive in Chicago feeling win within reach

Thousands of Democratic delegates have arrived in Chicago for what they expect to be a “joyful” four-night national convention crowning Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee, in contrast with the mood weeks ago that many described as a “death march” to the November election.

Delegates from across the country told the Washington Examiner they feel much more optimistic about the trip to Chicago than they did just a few weeks ago, describing a roller coaster of emotions from President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate in late June until his decision to drop out at the end of July. 

Following the swap from Biden to Harris, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said the mood went from a funeral to a party. 

“Everyone’s looking forward to this event, which a month ago looked like it might be a funeral, and now is looking like it’s going to be a big party and celebration as we go forward to elect the first woman president,” Poloncarz, a New York delegate, told the Washington Examiner.

Poloncarz has been to each Democratic convention since 2004, and he said he believes the enthusiasm for this one is the most he’s seen, even beyond 2008 for Barack Obama. 

“If you remember back in 2008 while Obama was the standard-bearer, there was a pretty tough fight between him and Hillary Clinton and others, including Joe Biden, and so not every delegate that was going into that convention was an Obama delegate,” he said. “And while we were pretty enthused leaving it, there still wasn’t the same unanimity and overall excitement you see going into this convention right now.”

Harris still has some work to do to bridge the gap among different factions of the party, especially when it comes to Israel’s war in Gaza. Nearly 100 organizations to protest against Israel are expected to be in Chicago as the war in Gaza reaches 10 months.

There are about 30 uncommitted delegates to the convention of about 4,600, injecting some uncertainty into the proceedings. Harris now must face new obstacles in continuing her campaign’s early momentum and appeal to a divided party while also courting enough independent voters to prevail over former President Donald Trump and his MAGA base.

“We were agonizing and now we are organizing. We are moving forward in a really happy and exciting way,” said Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, a delegate from Maryland. “We were definitely in a death march in terms of our political situation, and now it looks like we are going to win, although, you know, there’s still work to be done.”

Biden is scheduled to address the convention Monday night, an opportunity for Democratic delegates to honor the work of one president while balancing embracing a new candidate who they hope will win the White House next.

DuWayne Gregory, a New York delegate, was willing to stick with Biden and was not calling on him to step aside. However, he said he believes the president made the right decision.

“I think seeing the energy that has erupted since he left is proof positive that people were looking for something different — a younger generation or newer generation of leadership, and everyone’s so excited,” Gregory told the Washington Examiner. “People in Biden’s position don’t generally make those decisions. So I think it’s really a reflection of him, the character he has and putting the country before his own personal ambition.”

“It’s really impressive and I think all the more reason why I think history will reflect kindly on him,” he added. 

Michaelle Solages, another New York delegate, said she didn’t immediately jump on the Harris bandwagon but was convinced on a Zoom call with 44,000 black women.

“They were talking about the historic nature of Harris, what she’s done, her record. Having conversations with folks in my community, you know, it made it crystal clear that Harris was the best person,” Solanges explained. “I realized this is a historic opportunity for us to really elevate a person who’s not only has a huge amount of experience as an elected official but also someone who can really, truly represent the values of women.”

Irene Bonham, a first-time delegate from Colorado, said she’s thrilled to witness history. Harris is only the second woman to make it to the top of a presidential ticket and is the first female of color to do so. 

“I feel so joyful as a woman seeing this ticket, as someone who is participating in the Democratic process and trying to model what democracy looks like for my daughters. I just feel so excited and I’m ready to get to work,” she said.

Bonham said she’s bound to get emotional watching Harris accept the nomination on Thursday.

“I’m going to cry like a baby, and I’m proud of it,” she said. “This is history in the making, and to be in the room where it happens, to be able to tell this story, hopefully to my grandchildren someday, means a lot.”

A Monmouth University poll released last week found a jump in enthusiasm among registered Democrats and a notable increase among independents, too. In June, fewer than half of registered Democrats said they were excited about a Biden-Trump rematch. However, that number jumped to 85% in the latest survey, conducted between Aug. 8 and Aug. 12. The excitement among independents also increased from 34% in June to 53% in early August. Registered Republicans remained the same, with 71% in both surveys.

“She is bringing so much sunshine to the Democratic Party and not just in California. Look at Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada,” said Deborah Cunningham-Skurnik, a delegate from California who also serves as the regional director of the state’s Democratic Party. “The amount of people who showed up … spontaneous and organic. Her crowds will start chanting things, and it’s like, ‘Woah!’”

Sandra Lowe, another delegate from California, said the delegation members are fired up that the Democratic nominee hails from their home state. 

“Everybody is very excited,” said Lowe, who is the former mayor of Sonoma. “A lot of people who didn’t try to become a delegate are disappointed now because they would have loved to have been there — a little FOMO going on there.”