Belén Liotti
(CNN) –– The Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday in Chicago, with the party’s presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, expected to take the stage in President Joe Biden’s primetime slot.
Biden ended his reelection campaign last month and endorsed Harris to succeed him. His unprecedented announcement came after weeks of fighting for his political life, with the party rushing to rally around the vice president.
This is how Kamala Harris is leading in electoral preferences for the Democratic National Convention
“Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all that you will continue to do,” Harris said ahead of the president’s keynote address. “We are forever grateful to you.”
Biden ended his reelection bid last month, endorsing Harris as his successor. His unprecedented exit came after weeks of fighting for his political life, and the party has moved quickly to unite around the vice president.
“All this talk about being angry at people who said I should step down, that’s not true,” Biden said in his speech Monday. “I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy.”
Harris will give a speech on Thursday to formally accept the party’s nomination. She will become the first Black woman and the first Asian American to lead a major party’s ticket.
“She will be a president we can all be proud of, and she will be a historic president who will leave her mark on the future of America,” Biden said Monday.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the first woman in history to lead a major party ticket, also spoke at the convention, as did first lady Jill Biden.
Biden and Harris embrace after his keynote address on Monday. “I love you,” the vice president was seen saying. (Credit: Austin Steele/CNN)
Biden and Harris hold hands after their speech. (Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN)
“As your president, I have been determined to keep America moving forward, not backward,” Biden said in his speech. “To stand against hate and violence in all its forms, to be a nation where we not only live with diversity, but thrive in it, demonizing no one, leaving no one behind, and becoming the nation we profess to be.” (Credit: Bernadette Tuazon/CNN)
Tennessee State Rep. Gloria Johnson gets emotional as Biden speaks on Monday. (Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN)
Biden hugs his wife, Jill, after his speech. “America, I gave you my best,” he said. (Credit: Bernadette Tuazon/CNN)
Biden was greeted with more than four minutes of applause when he took the stage on Monday. People in the crowd held signs that read, “Thank you, Joe.” They also chanted the phrase. (Credit: Austin Steele/CNN)
Biden appears to wipe away tears as he is greeted by his daughter, Ashley, who introduced him to the crowd on Monday. (Credit: Bernadette Tuazon/CNN)
Delegates hold up signs for Jill Biden as she gives a speech at the convention on Monday. (Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN)
In her speech, the first lady recalled personal moments about her husband as a father, legislator and president. “Joe and I have been together for almost 50 years and there are still moments when I fall in love with him all over again,” she said. (Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN)
People hold signs with the name of the United States at the start of the convention, which is being held at the United Center in Chicago. Credit: Austin Steele/CNN
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the first woman in history to lead a major party ticket, speaks at the convention Monday. “It was the honor of my life to accept our party’s nomination for president,” she said of her 2016 campaign. “And nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there are no limits to our dreams. And then we refused to give up on America — millions marched, many ran for office, we kept our eyes on the future. Well, my friends, the future is here. I wish my mother and Kamala’s mother could see us. They would say, ‘Keep going.’” Credit: Austin Steele/CNN
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at the convention on Monday. She said Harris is committed to the middle class, reproductive and civil rights and achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing the hostages home. Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN
Content creator Joshua Martin records a video from the convention floor on Monday. Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attends the convention on Monday. Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN.
In her opening remarks at the convention on Monday, Harris thanked President Joe Biden for his “historic leadership.” Looking ahead to November, she said people of all backgrounds “will come together and declare with one voice, as one people: We are moving forward.” Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN
Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow speaks at the convention on Monday. Credit: Austin Steele/CNN.
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters speaks Monday. Credit: Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
The Rev. Jesse Jackson is honored onstage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, August 19. Jackson’s battle with Parkinson’s disease kept him out of the national spotlight in recent years, but Democrats cheered when the 82-year-old civil rights leader appeared alongside the Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP President Derrick Johnson. Credit: Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
US Senator Dick Durbin speaks at the convention on Monday. Credit: Austin Steele/CNN.
Union supporters hold signs. Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, on Monday expressed his powerful union’s support for Harris and thanked President Joe Biden for his past support. Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi poses for photos after arriving at the convention on Monday. Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN
Jamie Harrison, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, opens the convention Monday night with Minyon Moore, the chairwoman of the convention committee. Credit: Bernadette Tuazon/CNN
Heather Pirowski, left, is an Indiana delegate and a breast cancer survivor. She said she was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2020. “I didn’t realize that when you have dense breasts, mammograms don’t work (and) we need additional diagnostic testing,” she said while posing for a portrait Monday. “When I looked at our legislation in Indiana, we didn’t really have anything that spoke to that. So I formed Hoosier Breast Cancer Advocates, and with a couple other advocate friends, we actually passed legislation that was bipartisan and voted unanimously.” Saffiyyah Muhammad, right, didn’t have to go far to attend the convention. She’s from Chicago. She said she cried when she learned Harris would be the Democratic nominee and volunteered her time to help support the campaign. “Being a part of this history is very exciting and emotional,” she said. Muhammad, like Harris, is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, a historically Black sorority. Credit: Austin Steele/CNN.
Jacen Bowman, left, is a delegate from Philadelphia. “I see there’s been a resurgence of energy,” Bowman said. “There’s been a resurgence of people who are just excited about what’s happening now, especially when it comes to millennials and Gen Z. … Kamala represents what America is. America is an inclusive place. It’s about equality. I think it’s important that we have a woman president, especially a black woman. I haven’t seen this much enthusiasm since Obama ran for office.” Jared Schablein, a delegate from Maryland, brought a stuffed muskrat with him to the convention. “The muskrat is a local animal to my community on the Eastern Shore of Maryland,” he said. Princess Anne of Maryland also hosts a muskrat event on New Year’s Eve. Schablein said he was “incredibly excited” when Harris became the nominee and was happy to be one of the first in Maryland to publicly endorse her. He also said he was “excited” when Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. “Typically, rural America is not represented,” he said. Credit: Austin Steele/CNN
Protesters gather outside Chicago’s United Center, where the convention is being held, on Monday. Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN.
Merchandise was sold at the convention on Monday. Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN
Media reporters work at the convention on Monday. Credit: Austin Steele/CNN.
A portrait of Vice President Kamala Harris outside the United Center. Credit: Austin Steele/CNN.
A man stands in front of the stage before Monday night’s event. Credit: Austin Steele/CNN.
Chairs are lined up at the United Center ahead of Monday night’s speeches. Credit: Austin Steele/CNN
Press trailers were set up outside the United Center. Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN
A television journalist works from his booth inside the United Center on Sunday. Credit: Rebecca Wright/CNN.
A boat carrying pro-Palestinian protesters sails down the Chicago River on Sunday. Credit: Austin Steele/CNN.
