Washington — Party leaders and rising stars will address delegates in Chicago this week as the Democratic National Convention gets underway, with speeches sure to honor President Biden’s time in office while celebrating a new name atop the ticket.
The party will rally around its newly minted ticket this week, with renewed enthusiasm after Mr. Biden stepped aside and Vice President Kamala Harris ascended to the party’s helm. And a slew of Democrats from throughout the country will address delegates over four days in the lead up to speeches from the new presidential and vice presidential nominees.
Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is expected to officially accept the vice presidential nomination Wednesday night, while Harris will take the stage on Thursday to formally accept the presidential nomination.
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Speakers for the 2024 Democratic National Convention
Three presidents, leaders in Congress and other prominent members of the party are expected to address the convention this week as Democrats gear up for November’s election. Though the official speaker schedule has yet to be released, convention officials and other sources familiar with the planning have confirmed a number of the speakers heading into the week. Here are the speakers we know so far:
- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
- President Biden
- First lady Jill Biden
- Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
- Former President Barack Obama
- Former first lady Michelle Obama
- Former President Bill Clinton
- Rep. Tom Souzzi
- Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi
- Second gentleman Doug Emhoff
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz
- Vice President Kamala Harris
Who spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention?
The 2020 convention, which was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, featured speeches from Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, along with some of Mr. Biden’s rivals in the 2020 primary like Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Cory Booker of New Jersey. Prominent party leaders like Pelosi and Schumer also spoke, as did rising stars like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Scott MacFarlane and
contributed to this report.