The Democratic National Convention began in Chicago on Monday evening with the party rallying behind Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 race. Democrats also highlighted the legacy of President Joe Biden, praising him for his 54 years of public service.
NTD News spoke to several lawmakers ahead of DNC about their hope for the nation moving forward with just 76 days left until the November election.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi
The Speaker Emeritus on Monday expressed hope for unity and optimism for the future.
“My hope is that America will be unified,” Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told NTD. “That we will honor the vision of our founders, the sacrifice of the men and women in uniform, the aspirations of our children, and to do so in a way that brings people together.”
Pelosi was among the high-profile Democrats who pushed for Biden to reconsider his reelection bid. Pelosi, who held a “We love Joe” sign at the DNC, reportedly told Biden that Democrats could lose control of the House if he doesn’t withdraw from the 2024 race.
Gov. Andy Beshear
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who was among the candidates considered to be Harris’s running mate, delivered remarks on the first day of the DNC. The governor in his speech blamed former President Donald Trump for the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and praised Harris for supporting abortion.
Beshear told NTD that he has hope for the future and expressed confidence in a Harris–Waltz ticket.
“I’m hopeful that Kamala Harris and Governor Walz are going to lead us to a better tomorrow, where we can turn down the temperature, where we can all be Americans first and members of a political party second or third,” Beshear said.
Stephen K. Benjamin
“Joe Biden has talked the talk and walked the walk,” Stephen K. Benjamin, Biden’s director of public engagement, told NTD.
Benjamin reflected on Biden’s political legacy, citing the American Rescue Plan, 60 million new jobs, and student loan debt forgiveness among the accomplishments of the Biden–Harris administration.
“Him and the vice president have gotten the job done,” he said. “They changed the course of the nation and will continue to do so under this new leadership of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.”
Benjamin also said that his hope for the future is to continue to invest in the idea that America is a land of opportunity.
Rep. Maxine Waters
“I felt like there was kind of a cloud over America and now that’s behind us,” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said ahead of the DNC.
The California Democrat, who is serving her seventeenth term, expressed hope for the future because the party has the “right candidates.”
Waters in her DNC speech told the story of civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer, who fought for a seat at the 1964 DNC and praised Harris for becoming the first black woman to be nominated by a major party for president.
Rep. Wiley Nickel
Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.) on Monday told NTD that the 2024 Democratic ticket is “an all-new reset of the race.”
The North Carolina Democrat reflected on his time working on the presidential campaign of Barack Obama, saying this race “feels just like 2008,” adding that there is an excitement and energy for the Harris–Waltz ticket.
Wiley, who is a part of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, said that his hope for America is that Harris is elected and “get past the divisiveness” of Trump.
Rep. Jamie Raskin
Several pro-Palestinian protests were held outside the United Center in Chicago on Monday during the DNC. Democrat lawmakers shared their reactions to the demonstrations, including Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who echoed Harris’s views on the conflict in Gaza.
“I think Kamala Harris has spoken beautifully about this, which is the Democratic Party has always been a strong supporter of the strategic defense and security of Israel, a fellow democracy,” Rep. Raskin told NTD. “And at the same time, we are anguished about the civilian casualties and loss of life in Gaza and wee need to bring the hostages home and we need a ceasefire.”
The Maryland Democrat told NTD that his hope is that this century will have all the beauty of the great civilized movements of American history.
NTD’s Lynn Lin contributed to this report.