Northwest Democrats riding high as DNC kicks off in Chicago

CHICAGO – When President Joe Biden took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, it wasn’t the way he planned to do it just a month earlier.

Rather than closing the convention as his party’s nominee, Biden headlined the gathering’s first day as an elder statesman throwing his political weight behind Vice President Kamala Harris, whose campaign has ridden a wave of enthusiasm since the president dropped out of the race July 21. Yet after a standing ovation that lasted over four minutes, delegates began trickling out of the United Center in the middle of Biden’s lengthy speech – with “We Love Joe” signs in hand – in a sign of the party’s willingness to move on.

Before launching into a review of his administration’s accomplishments and repeating the theme of his defunct campaign – a battle to save American democracy – Biden made a clear reference to the central message of the more future-focused Harris campaign, asking the crowd, “Are you ready to vote for freedom?”

“America, I gave my best to you,” Biden said near the end of his speech. “I made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you.”

Democrats’ elation at the prospect of a Harris presidency was manifest in the Washington state delegation, whose members stood out in light-up hats and “Cowboy Kamala” sashes inspired by Beyoncé’s latest album. Priya Osborne, a delegate from Spokane, said the atmosphere inside the arena was “just electrifying, especially knowing this is such a momentous opportunity that’s in front of our nation.”

“It’s amazing to witness history right now,” Osborne said. “When Biden first announced he was dropping out, I was like, ‘Oh no, what’s going to happen?’ But then as soon as he endorsed Kamala, and seeing the rush of support, that encouraged me and reassured me that, yes, we’ve got this.”

Neither deep-blue Washington nor bright-red Idaho is likely to decide the presidential race, but party leaders from the two states said the energy around Harris and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the vice -presidential nominee, has fueled a flood of volunteers and donations that have boosted other Democratic candidates and causes.

Rep. Lauren Necochea, a state lawmaker from Boise and chair of the Idaho Democratic Party, said the state party saw a record-breaking week of fundraising after Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris. Those resources have helped Idaho Democrats turn out voters and deliver their message about what she called the extremist policies of Republicans in the Gem State.

“There’s incredible enthusiasm as we unite around the Harris-Walz ticket,” Necochea said. “We’re also seeing the momentum – every day, the polls turning more and more in our favor – as voters are embracing a vision of hope. And it stands in stark contrast to what the other side is offering.”

While Day 1 of the convention focused mainly on an optimistic vision for the future, a few speakers reminded the audience about former President Donald Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, prompting chants of “not going back” from the delegates who filled the arena.

David Green of Spokane, vice chair of the Washington state Democratic Party, said the switch from Biden to Harris at the top of the ticket drew a flood of volunteers in Spokane County and across the state.

“Whether they spend an hour writing postcards or an hour knocking on doors or an hour making phone calls, the more the merrier,” Green said. “I think many people in Washington state love the president, but there is much more excitement for the Kamala Harris and Tim Walz ticket right now.”

Terri Pickens, a former Republican who is now running for Idaho governor as a Democrat after Trump’s ascendance pushed her out of the GOP, said that Walz, a former high school teacher and football coach who grew up in Nebraska, will help spread the Democrats’ message outside the cities and suburbs that have become the party’s stronghold in recent years.

“Oh, don’t even get me started on Gov. Walz,” Pickens said. “I listened to him talk in Philadelphia the very first day when he was on the campaign trail and it felt like my high school teacher was talking to me. He knows how to talk to the people – he knows how to talk to rural folks – and that’s what we need in Idaho.”

Jeff Beaulac, a delegate from Spokane, said he thinks Democratic enthusiasm over Harris and Walz increased Democratic turnout in Washington’s primary on Aug. 6.

“Seeing that energy means more volunteers, and that’s what wins races,” Beaulac said. “I think Biden is great. I think Nancy Pelosi, though, kind of called it when she said he doesn’t necessarily have the best political operation. And the amount of energy we’re seeing, the people going out on doors, coming in to volunteer, is skyrocketing.”

Even with the excitement among Democrats over their presidential ticket, the threat of another Trump presidency remains a major motivator for voters. Heather Young, a delegate from Snohomish County, said Harris’s appeal largely comes from her contrast with Trump.

The Army veteran and mother of two kids with disabilities said she has been “absolutely appalled” by reports of Trump calling her fellow veterans “suckers” and “losers,” according to his own chief of staff, and saying that disabled people “should just die,” according to Trump’s nephew. Trump has denied making those statements.

“I’ve never been somebody who gets super excited about politics,” Young said. “It’s a job. Do the job competently. With everything that’s happened in the election up to now, I was feeling very hopeless and worried. I really still believed that Biden was the better candidate, but it wasn’t something I was super excited about.”

The Democratic National Convention continues Tuesday and will conclude when Harris officially accepts her party’s nomination for president on Thursday night.