California delegates report an electric mood inside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago where, as representatives of Kamala Harris’s home state, they get front row seats to all of the electoral excitement.
On Tuesday Aug. 20, this includes a headlining speech from former president Barack Obama as well as remarks from Governor Gavin Newsom who has the ceremonial honor of delivering the delegate votes needed to confirm Harris as the party’s presidential nominee.
After weeks of turmoil over who should lead the Democratic ticket, California delegates described a palpable surge in hope and unity from inside the United Center.
“I think that most delegates, prior to Biden stepping aside for Vice President Harris to take the role, were apprehensive and unsure how this convention was going to be,” said delegate Mark Gonzalez, immediate past chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. “But there certainly does seem to be a new energy around here and many people are saying it feels like 2008. The excitement is indescribable.”
Obama became the first Black president in 2008 and, if elected, Harris would become the first female head of state.
Gonzalez said that thanks to the coalescing of support around Harris, there is fresh optimism surging through the party and an increase in interest from young diverse voters.
“You’re seeing a strong amount of young people, which is what we also saw in 2008, who want to get involved and feel motivated by this campaign to once again make history,” he said.
L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said that out of the half a dozen or so Democratic National Conventions (DNCs) she has attended, none have felt as special as this one.
“I think it’s very high energy, it’s electric and people are really energized,” said Solis. “I’ve never seen anything quite this size, in this magnitude.”
And with a daughter of California at the top of the ticket, the spotlight is shining bright on the Golden state.
On Monday evening, many of the state’s top leaders delivered speeches including L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, Long Beach Congressmember Robert Garcia, Hawthorne Congressmember Maxine Waters and Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis. In addition, Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is scheduled to take to the stage on Wednesday evening.
California has almost 500 delegates present, more than any other state.
“It’s amazing to be here in such numbers to really just show Chicago this is California’s year and California is going to make sure that we get out into the swing states and we knock on doors and we get VP Kamala Harris elected president,” said delegate and Mayor of West Covina Brian Calderón Tabatabai.
While California Democrats are all aboard the Harris train, in order to win the election they will need to spread that enthusiasm across the nation — and combat the narrative that Californians are out-of-touch liberal elites.
Delegate Kristin Washington, chair of the San Bernardino County Democratic Party, said she believes Harris has a background and message that will resonate with everyday Americans.
“I know that she’s making an effort to talk about things that impact people from every state,” said Washington. “I think that we all need to be careful that we don’t characterize our party the way that the Republican Party is trying to, because we’re so much more than just the elite left.”
Washington said that Harris’s VP pick Tim Walz — a former social studies teacher and football coach — does a great job of being relatable. She added that Harris is good at discussing “pocket book issues” that working class Americans care about as well as reproductive rights, which impact women across the nation.
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West Covina Mayor Tabatabai said that being from California should not hurt Harris in this election. He thinks the state’s strong protections for unionized workers will appeal to blue collar voters in key swing states like Pennsylvania and Michigan.
“When you think labor and labor strength, California is at the forefront of that, and that is a message that will resonate across the country,” he said. “That’s not elite. That’s the backbone of the country.”
Both Democrats and Republicans are vying for the support of unionized labor in this election cycle. In all six major swing states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — the working class share of the electorate is larger than the national average.
While Democrats have long considered blue collar workers a blue voting block, Republicans in recent years have seen a surge of support among voters who did not attend college. Teamsters president Sean O’Brien became the first head of the nation’s largest labor union to speak at the Republican National Convention in July.
On Monday, leaders from six different labor unions took to the DNC and delivered speeches on how the Biden-Harris administration has worked to support unionized labor.
“Because union workers are so important to us as Democrats, and part of our our values are to make sure that employees are taken care of and that they have a livable wage, having that moment on the stage with all those union leaders was something that we were very proud of,” Washington said.
Washington said she’s had an incredible experience at the convention and, as a Black woman, is especially looking forward to hearing Harris talk on Thursday.
“I think I’m going to be holding back tears on Thursday when she makes her acceptance speech,” she said, “because this is a very unique moment and I just can’t wait.”