Presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during the Democratic National Convention on Thursday.
AP
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris knocked her acceptance speech “out of the park,” capping a party convention filled with joy and optimism, suburban delegates said Friday.
“The entire energy throughout the convention was electrifying throughout the week, and it hit a new high (Thursday night),” said Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega, a Grayslake resident and a delegate for the 10th Congressional District.
But boosters who watched the vice president’s rousing speech at the United Center also noted they have a lot of work to do if they want to help Harris defeat Republican nominee Donald Trump on Nov. 5 and prevent him from returning to the Oval Office for a second term.
“It’s very important to remember the chaos and calamity of those for years, when it came to our rights (and) when it came to our Constitution being trampled on,” said state Sen. Sara Feigenholz of Chicago, a delegate for the 5th Congressional District. “I can’t go through that again.”
State Comptroller Susana Mendoza, left, and state Sen. Sara Feigenholz pose for a selfie at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday.
Courtesy of Sara Feigenholtz
Vega called the vice president’s acceptance speech “uplifting and powerful.”
“As a delegate and elected official of color, as a son of immigrant parents, Harris’ remarks on her parents’ journey was especially poignant,” Vega said. “(It) reminded me of my own story, and those of many. And while each story is unique, they start the same: with parents who dared to chase the American dream.”
Vega believes Harris presented “a clear contrast in the choice voters will face on Nov. 5.”
“Kamala knocked it out of the park by presenting a clear road map for the future,” Vega said. “A United States that works on behalf of every American, where the middle class is strengthened, where we uphold the rule of law, where we instill faith in our institutions and where we work towards a more perfect union of the people, by the people, for the people united.”
Feigenholz said Harris’ speech reminded her “how fortunate we are” to be Americans.
“We have a lot to lose,” she said.
This was state Sen. Sara Feigenholz’s view of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night.
Courtesy of Sara Feigenholtz
Feigenholz, who is Jewish, also was moved by how Harris addressed the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. She appreciated Harris’ pledge to support Israel while also showing sympathy for the innocent Palestinian people suffering because of the conflict.
“It’s how we all feel,” Feigenholz said. “End the war.”