Two 17-year-olds from Minnesota who turn the legal voting age days before the November election. A nonprofit leader from Louisiana who celebrates her 80th birthday in nine days. A retired Arizona librarian enthralled with the sights along Michigan Avenue: These are three of the thousands of delegates who traveled to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, which continued Wednesday at the United Center.
This year’s convention is largely ceremonial as Vice President Kamala Harris already secured her party’s nomination. Still, delegates were energized by the historic moment they would witness this week with Harris being the first Black and Asian American woman to be a major party’s presidential candidate.
The Chicago Tribune spoke with some of the delegates inside the United Center for the first three days of the four-day convention. Here’s a little bit about them.
Patti O’Neil, 65, and Lucy Marshall, 58
- Delegates from Arizona.
- O’Neil is a Scottsdale resident and former Maricopa County public health department employee. Marshall lives in Phoenix and is a retired librarian. They both volunteer in leadership positions in their local Democratic Party.
- Marshall, on becoming a delegate: “I wanted to represent the people I work with and also participate in something I thought would be really fun and also enlightening.”
- O’Neil, on convention highlights thus far: “It’s so hard to pick just one thing. The roll call was phenomenal. I think that just started us, got the energy going. … Michelle Obama slayed it. She killed it. And never once did she ever say his name, but (she) definitely alluded to the differences. And clearly there is a difference. We all can agree with that.”
- O’Neil, on being in Chicago: “I would just love to walk around and look at the architecture. I love the architecture here. It’s beautiful. It’s art.”
- Marshall, on Chicago: “I just loved walking along Michigan Avenue in the beautiful weather, sitting outside and having some lunch and looking at your art museum (and) going to The Bean.”
Melba Baker, 79
- Delegate from Louisiana.
- Baker lives in Haughton in north Louisiana, just east of Shreveport. This is the first convention she’s attended as a delegate, though she’s been to others as a guest.
- A former employee with AT&T and General Motors, Baker retired and started her own nonprofit, six months ago, to help those in need in her community.
- On becoming a delegate: “The people voted for me, and I’ve got to stand up for them.”
- Highlights of the convention: “Michelle Obama. Everybody else is fine, but that girl lit me on fire.”
- On being in Chicago: “We’re going to take that boat ride tomorrow (an architectural tour along the river). I went to a pizza place. Giordano’s. Wonderful.”
Chase Cooper, 19
- Delegate from Florida.
- This is the first convention for Cooper, a Parkland resident and rising college sophomore who is studying political science.
- On becoming a delegate: “I’m looking to go to multiple conventions. I think it’s really important. The future of the country is really important to me. It’s the youth vote. If we don’t have young people casting ballots, then we’re not going to preserve democracy.”
- Convention highlights: “The president. I was elected as a Biden delegate, never expecting he would drop out of the race and nominate Kamala Harris. Joe Biden is a true patriot.”
- On being in Chicago: “I was ecstatic when this city was chosen. I wanted a city that knew how to host a good convention like this one.”
Isaac Winkler and Beatrice Schierer, both 17
- Delegates from Minnesota.
- Winkler is from Golden Valley, a western suburb of Minneapolis. Schierer is from Fergus Falls, which is about 175 miles northwest of Minneapolis.
- Both are thought to be the youngest delegates at this year’s DNC. Winkler turns 18 three days before the November election; Schierer turns 18 a week before the election.
- Winkler, on becoming a delegate: “I have some family in politics (his father, Ryan Winkler, is the former Minnesota House majority leader). But a personal reason for me is I believe that politics is the best way to make a difference in a lot of people’s lives.”
- Schierer, on becoming a delegate: “I also grew up in politics and I’ve been interested in it since a very young age (her dad, Ben Schierer, is mayor of Fergus Falls). I think it’s really important that young people are included and involved, but in order for that to happen there has to be people willing to stand up and willing to participate and get involved. I think that falls onto the young people.”
- Both want to study political science in college, possibly in Washington D.C.
- Schierer, on convention highlights thus far: “Listening to Michelle Obama was so inspiring and so incredible last night. I think she is just an amazing, inspiring woman. That was really a cool experience to watch her.”
- Winkler, on convention highlights: “I was a big fan of Hillary Clinton’s speech. I thought her talking about unity and the glass ceiling that we need to break — that was very powerful.”
- Before they leave Chicago, Winkler said he’s hoping to get some pizza. Schierer wants to explore more of the city on foot. “It’s a great city,” she said. “It’s super cool here.”
Ako Abdul-Samad, 73
- Delegate from Iowa.
- This is the third convention for Abdul-Samad, who lives in Des Moines and has served as an Iowa state legislator for the last 18 years. He plans to retire after this legislative session and focus on his nonprofit of 28 years, which he said works to help children, young adults and adults “who want to change their lives.”
- On becoming a delegate: “From 16 on, I’ve been dealing with government. My first official office was at the Des Moines school board. I ran because we needed minority representation. From there I got elected to the House. I wanted to learn more about the process, and wanting to be a delegate is learning more about the process. You can be excited and be on the sidelines, but I like being involved. Because we have to be able to change the game, and to change the game you’ve got to be involved.”
- Before he leaves Chicago, he wants to revisit a vegetarian soul food restaurant on Chicago’s South Side. “It was the best food I have eaten. I would love to do that. That would be a highlight for me, because I haven’t been there in years.”
Michael Childers, 69
- Delegate from Wisconsin.
- Childers is a self-described “bad retiree” who runs a candle shop and gift shop with his husband on Madeline Island, in Lake Superior off Wisconsin’s northern shore.
- This is his third Democratic convention. He first got involved in the state’s Democratic Party after moving to Madison and volunteering on U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s campaign. He continues to work with her campaign committee.
- Monday highlights: “Just the sheer energy within the hall. Various speakers brought that energy up to different points and different peaks, and I think that says something. That speaks well to the enthusiasm that the party has going forward to the fall.”
- On being in Chicago: Childers has visited his favorite seafood restaurant twice since being in the city. “Chicago’s a lovely city.”
Dr. Joeigh Perella, 34
- Delegate from New Jersey.
- From Vineland in southern New Jersey, Perella is a dentist and first-time delegate.
- On becoming a delegate: “Just watching this on the television, I remember being 10 in 2000 watching the convention for Al Gore, and just seeing the energy and the passion in the room and the excitement on the delegates’ faces. I think the pride that everyone had for the party and the mission we were trying to carry out, it was something I always wanted to be part of and continue that legacy of firing everyone up before the presidential election.”
- Monday highlights: Speeches from U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden stand out in Perella’s mind. “I thought President Biden did a phenomenal job laying out the accomplishments he and Vice President Harris have had over the last four years, and then setting Vice President Harris up to take up the torch and the mantle and lead our party and lead our country as president going forward for the next four years.”
- On being in Chicago: Perella attended the New Jersey caucus party Monday night at the John Hancock Observatory. “The views of the lake, the shoreline, the city at night lit up, were just amazing and breathtaking. … This has been a great city to experience thus far.”
Lili Sandler, 47
- Delegate from Ohio.
- Sandler is a freelance writer and mom who lives in Oberlin, just west of Cleveland.
- This is her first convention. She started to get involved in her state’s Democratic Party after the 2016 election. “Ohio is a difficult state to organize in but it’s essential. It’s a big state. There are a lot of us. It’s also very rural, so it’s sort of like a mini America. It’s so important for me to make the world a better place in whatever way I can.”
- Monday highlights: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “gave just a fireball of a speech. She was amazing. I also really liked what Steve Kerr had to say, the analogy of being a coach and leadership. Seeing the big names is always super exciting, but also just knowing we have this energy.”
- On Chicago’s culinary icons: “I do love deep-dish pizza, even though I think Jon Stewart is hilarious and it’s kind of a casserole. But I do love it. It is delicious. The other night at our welcome party, they had Chicago-style hot dogs. I’ve never had them with all the toppings that you guys do. I don’t understand the bright green relish. It’s fluorescent. It’s a little weird, but it was delicious.”
Chris Porter, 58
- Delegate from Washington.
- A Seattle resident, Porter works as a nurse and a human resources manager for a community organization centered on health equity and removing the stigma around HIV in communities of color.
- He attended his first convention in 2008. “It’s our great big celebratory party as we take that next step into taking that person who will appear Thursday on stage and ushering them into the White House.”
- Monday highlights: “I liked where Kamala came out for a sort of tease on what to expect Thursday, because it was so unexpected. We were all diligently watching our speech list and then she appeared. It really just heightened things even more.”
- On Chicago and its cuisine: “I’d like to go back to the Little Italy section of restaurants here. I’d like to go back and try some more food there. Last night I had the Chicago-style pizza, from Pequod’s. I had Chicago-style pizza in Seattle and got confused. I don’t think this is what it’s supposed to be, and now I know.”
Elvi Gray-Jackson, 71
- Delegate from Alaska.
- From Anchorage, Gray-Jackson has served in Alaska’s state Senate since 2019. This is her first convention: “It’s an honor to be here and it’s pretty amazing.”
- Monday highlights: “It would have to be President Biden’s speech. It was very touching and very right on. I just admire him. All the speeches were really great, but his just touched my heart.”
- On being in Chicago: “I’m good with just being here and listening to the speeches and feeling the vibe, feeling good and feeling excited we’re going to have a female president of the United States of America.”
Randy Kelley, 71, and Joe L. Reed, 85
- Delegates from Alabama.
- Kelley is chair of the Alabama Democratic Party and a pastor in Huntsville. Reed is chair of the state’s Democratic Black caucus and a retired labor leader with the state’s teachers union.
- Kelley, on getting involved in politics: “I started out early, protesting for better conditions in our community. I was very much concerned about education and the funding of schools, people having a livable wage.”
- Reed said he was an Alabama delegate when Chicago hosted the DNC in 1968. On his political motivations: “A lot of things. I’m an old man. A lot of things got me involved in politics. My witnessing unfairness, discrimination, things of that nature caused me to get involved and want to get things straightened out.”
- Before he leaves Chicago, Kelley hopes to visit the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. Reed, meanwhile, said he had no plans other than to head home and “work.” “People talk about politics, and that’s OK,” he said. “It’s good. But hell, you’ve got to work.”
Bonnie Kane Lockwood, 69
- Delegate from New York.
- A Buffalo resident, she works for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. “To work for the first woman governor of the state of New York, my mother, God rest her soul, would be so proud.”
- Lockwood was previously a delegate for Hillary Clinton during her unsuccessful 2008 bid for the party’s nomination. She first got into politics in college, volunteering for a local city council candidate.
- On what she was looking forward to at Monday’s convention: “To be here and to listen to the president of the United States (Joe Biden), who, in a singular moment of humility and for the greater good, did what he did to make room, to elevate and to preserve our country (he) will go down in history.”
- Lockwood was last in the United Center in 2010, she said, watching her nephew, Patrick Kane, in the Stanley Cup.
- On Chicago’s culinary offerings: “You know what, I have to say I can’t leave without a deep dish pizza. We’re going to be in trouble with my pizza lovers in Buffalo.”
Francis Harjo, 77, and Debra Proctor, 67
- Delegates from Oklahoma.
- Harjo, a retired administrator with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Proctor, a retired nurse, both in northeast Oklahoma, on land belonging to the Cherokee Nation.
- Harjo, on becoming a delegate: “I’ve just always been interested in politics (and) always wanted to be a delegate and attend a convention and sit on the floor. I had an experience when I was in high school. I had a political science teacher who got me motivated. He had been a delegate before and he would talk about the convention (and) how much fun it was.”
- Proctor, on getting into politics: “Being Native Americans in rural Oklahoma, our state is particularly hostile to tribes at our leadership level. This is our voice. If you sit home and you expect it to change from the outside, it’s not going to happen.”
- On being in Chicago, Proctor: “The architectural tour was wonderful. I’d love to see the art museum.” Harjo: “I was just excited to get a plate of Thai food last night. We don’t get Thai food where I live.”
Michele Dappert, 33
- Delegate from Maryland.
- A Talbot County resident, Dappert is a senior media planner for a marketing firm in Baltimore and president of her county’s Democratic forum.
- On being in the United Center: “I’m just overwhelmed with excitement for the opportunity to have our first female president of the United States, which is long past due.”
- On Harris: “I’m most looking forward to see if she speaks about the programs she recently put out about affordable housing and helping people get first time homes because I’m looking. I’m trying to buy a house. It is incredibly difficult. People like me need all the help we can get and she understands that. She has always been out there fighting for the people. That is who she is.”
- Before she leaves Chicago, Dappert wants to take an architectural tour along the river. “I cannot wait to get out on that water,” she said. “The city is beautiful.”