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Tag: Democratic National Convention

  • DNC announces Kamala Harris will be the Democratic presidential nominee

    DNC announces Kamala Harris will be the Democratic presidential nominee

    By:  – Ohio Capital Journal

    WASHINGTON — Enough Democratic delegates selected Kamala Harris to make her the party’s presidential nominee by Friday, during an ongoing virtual vote that began less than two weeks after President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign.

    The vote, which will not officially close until Monday evening, was held in advance of the Democratic National Convention, scheduled to take place in Chicago later this month, to assuage concerns about state registration deadlines that begin in August.

    The DNC began laying the groundwork for the virtual nomination months before Biden announced his decision to step aside.

    Harris said on a call with supporters Friday that she was happy to have surpassed the threshold needed to win the nomination.

    “Of course, I will officially accept your nomination next week once the virtual voting period has closed, but already I’m happy to know that we have enough delegates to secure the nomination,” Harris said.

    DNC Chair Jaime Harrison encouraged DNC delegates to keep sending in their ballots during the Zoom call, but said the support for Harris so far has been overwhelming.

    “I am so proud to confirm that Vice President Harris has earned more than a majority of votes from all convention delegates and will be the nominee of the Democratic Party following the close of voting on Monday,” he said.

    “The outpouring of support we have witnessed for the vice president has been unprecedented,” Harrison added. “We knew your ballots would come back quickly. But the fact that we can say today, just one day after we opened voting, that the vice president has crossed the majority threshold and will officially be our nominee next week — folks, that is simply outstanding.”

    The virtual roll call vote began Thursday at 9 a.m. Eastern and will conclude Monday at 6 p.m. Eastern. Harris was the only candidate to qualify.

    The DNC plans to announce the final results afterward, including a state-by-state breakdown.

    One of Harris’ first official acts will be selecting a running mate from a list that holds several governors as well as at least one senator. Her decision will set the tone for the sprint to the ballot box.

    Harris and her running mate are expected to hold rallies in swing states next week, including Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday, North Carolina on Thursday, Georgia and Arizona on Friday, and Nevada on Saturday.

    Jennifer Shutt
    Jennifer Shutt

    Jennifer covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include congressional policy, politics and legal challenges with a focus on health care, unemployment, housing and aid to families.

    Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

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  • ‘I have not lost my voice’: Gabby Giffords at DNC convention calls for end to gun violence

    ‘I have not lost my voice’: Gabby Giffords at DNC convention calls for end to gun violence

    Gabby Giffords delivering remarks at the 2020 virtual Democratic National Convention

    By Jacob Fischler – The Ohio Capital Journal

    Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords opened the third night of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, recounting her recovery from a gunshot wound to the head and her embrace of activism on gun violence policy.

    Giffords, of Arizona, appeared in a pre-taped video that included images of her long, painful rehabilitation from the 2011 assassination attempt. The segment showed her in a hospital bed shortly after the shooting, and then limping, practicing her speech and playing the French horn in the present day.

    In her remarks, she said the assault led to her work against gun violence.

    “I’ve known the darkest of days, days of pain and uncertain recovery. But confronted by despair, I’ve summoned hope,” she said. “My recovery is a daily fight, but fighting makes me stronger. Words once came easily; today I struggle with speech. But I have not lost my voice.”

    In a tweet following her appearance, Giffords’ husband, astronaut and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kelly, said it was the longest speech Giffords has given since the attack.

    Giffords urged viewers to speak out against gun violence and to vote for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, framing the election as a crossroads where voters could elect to stop gun violence.

    The Democratic platform calls for universal background checks, ending online sales of guns and ammunition, banning assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines and incentivizing states to enact laws that make it easier for law enforcement to temporarily remove guns from people they deem dangerous.

    Giffords’ video was preceded by a clip of Biden promising to “never give up this fight” against gun violence.

    Shannon Watts, founder of the gun control group Moms Demand Action (Photo Moms Demand Action)

    In a statement, Shannon Watts, founder of the gun control group Moms Demand Action, called Giffords “a hero and an inspiration” and said her appearance was evidence that gun control has become a major campaign issue.

    The convention’s third night included more appeals to policy than the first two. In addition to the guns segment, speakers addressed climate change and immigration.

    Giffords was first elected to Congress in 2006 and retired in 2012 following the assassination attempt in Tucson and became an advocate for tougher gun laws. She founded her own anti-gun group in 2016.

    Jacob Fischler

    Jacob Fischler is a national correspondent for States Newsroom.