‘Biden made a selfless, heroic decision, and it’ll be awesome to celebrate him tonight’: Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida

The Democratic National Convention begins Monday in Chicago with roughly 50,000 people expected to arrive in the Windy City. That includes thousands of anti-war activists who plan to demonstrate near the United Center where Vice President Kamala Harris will officially accept the party’s nomination for president.

Earlier this month, delegates made Harris their nominee in a virtual roll call. The party will still conduct a ceremonial roll call vote at the convention mimicking the look of a traditional roll call where state delegations announce their votes from the convention floor.

Here’s the Latest:

On day one of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, organizers of the event say viewers will hear from “everyday people” as well as a slate of elected officials, including a headlining appearance by President Joe Biden that will serve as a celebration of his record in office.

Among the speakers: United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain; Hillary Clinton; Reps. Grace Meng, Jamie Raskin and Jasmine Crockett; as well as Sens. Chris Coons and Raphael Warnock; and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

Much of the programing will focus on Biden’s record achievement during his time in the White House, which includes passing major pieces of legislation that included policies Democrats had dreamed of enacting for a generation.

“I think it’s important for him to answer those age-old questions: what have you done for me lately and why bother to go out and vote?” said former Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond, a Biden advisor.

“Politicians worry about the next election. Statesmen worry about the next generation,” said Richmond, who called Biden “a statesman who will pass the baton on to Kamala Harris to continue to put the next generation first.”

The scene at the opening events of the Democratic National Convention would have been unrecognizable a few months ago. Delegates dressed head to toe in Harris-Walz merch, some wearing the vice president’s face on their scarf or her euphemisms on graphic tees.

A new generation of Democratic leaders, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Witmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, spoke about the new “infusion” of energy at various delegation breakfasts. But even as Democrats kicked off a week dedicated to ushering in their new presumptive nominee, there were still remnants of the man who was leading the party and the presidential ticket just a short while ago.

At the Florida delegation breakfast, speakers made mentions about the “ultimate sacrifice” President Joe Biden made last month to step aside, saying that without that decision, the idea that the Sunshine State could potentially be in play for Democrats would be mere fantasy.

“Joe Biden made a selfless, heroic decision, and it’ll be awesome to celebrate him tonight,” Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida told The Associated Press. “And then we’re going to look to the future and pivot.”

Shortly before Castor took the stage to speak, a DNC volunteer pulled out a suitcase and began to hand out replicas of Joe Biden’s infamous aviators to the dozens of attendees.

DNC officials first indicated in May that they would conduct a virtual roll call before the convention to clear a potential hurdle in getting the Democratic nominee on the ballot in Ohio. Ohio’s deadline to file for the general election ballot was Aug. 7. Although the deadline had been modified in previous presidential election years to accommodate late-summer conventions of both parties, this year state Republicans initially planned to enforce the existing deadline, with one GOP lawmaker calling the scheduling bind “ a Democratic problem.”

The Republican-controlled Legislature did eventually make an accommodation for the convention at the behest of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, but the law doesn’t go into effect until Aug. 31. Citing concerns that Ohio Republicans could still try to block their candidate from getting on the ballot despite the legislative fix, DNC officials moved forward with their virtual roll call as originally planned.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will head directly to southern California’s Santa Ynez Valley on Monday for a vacation after they address the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, according to the White House.

The trip to the stunning valley known for its wineries — the Oscar-winning film “Sideways” was filmed there — could give Biden a chance to lay low during a week when Democrats want the focus to be on Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as they make their pitch to many Americans who are just beginning to tune in to the 2024 presidential election.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz appeared at the breakfast of the Wisconsin delegation, declaring to cheers, “I can’t say enough about my neighbors.”

Walz, who’s governor of Minnesota, was set to make the rounds at key early meetings on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention, which opened Monday in Chicago.

Returning to a theme he’s frequently used throughout the campaign, Walz promised that he and Vice President Kamala Harris would hustle through the race’s remaining weeks, saying hard work will take precedence over personal comforts and that the Democratic ticket can “sleep when we’re dead.”

The governors of Illinois, Pennsylvania and Michigan hopped from one delegate breakfast to another

Which resulted in roaring crowds of Democrats vying for selfies and handshakes from the Democratic leaders.

“We are on the cusp of electing an administration that will take us the next step forward,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told Florida delegates Monday morning.

Convention roll call votes haven’t had much drama in more than 40 years. Since then, a single candidate has always emerged in each party as the presumptive nominee well before the convention, making the vote itself a foregone conclusion.

That’s especially true in the 2024 Democratic convention, since the ceremonial vote is non-binding and cannot undo or modify the results of the earlier, official vote to nominate Harris held over five days in the first week of August. That’s not to say there can’t be some attempt to stage a protest vote from the convention floor, but it won’t have any effect on the outcome.

The result from the official nomination vote from early August was 4,563 votes for Harris and 52 for “present,” the only other option on the ballot. An additional 79 delegates did not cast votes.

It’s been nearly two weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris officially won the Democratic presidential nomination in an online vote, the first time a nominee was named prior to a party’s convention. But the approximately 4,700 delegates charged with picking a nominee to lead the ticket did so from locations around the globe on their laptops and devices in relative isolation from one other. There was none of the pomp and fanfare that usually accompany the process of selecting the party’s standard-bearer. In other words, it wasn’t very fun.

Democratic party leaders hope to make up for that by holding a ceremonial vote at the Democratic National Convention, which begins Monday in Chicago. Among the major agenda items will be what’s essentially a re-staging of the official presidential nomination vote from early August, mirroring the sometimes-festive, sometimes-raucous roll call votes that have been a staple of in-person party conventions for nearly 200 years.

The Democratic National Committee calls it a “celebratory Roll Call” and said in a statement the event would give delegates the opportunity to “celebrate the nomination” of Harris, who’s the first woman of color to lead a major party presidential ticket.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson urged Vice President Kamala Harris to embrace an agenda that would “push for economic stability and growth for working people.”

Johnson, who’s emerged as a surrogate for Harris among progressives and at events for Black male outreach in cities like Detroit, emphasized Harris’ upbringing and record as attorney general as potential strengths on the campaign trail.

“Showing up for working people is what the vice president has done her entire career,” Johnson said.

“The economic stability of our country really requires someone who understands the interests of working people,” he contended.

“She knows what it is like to struggle, along with Governor Walz. Like myself, he is a former social studies teacher,” Johnson said of the Minnesota governor.

Johnson, who on Sunday described Chicago as “one of the most diverse communities in the country,” defended the city’s record on race and inclusion as it grapples with historic challenges like the migrant crisis and debates over racial equity.

At the Florida delegation breakfast, Democrats started the session by making note of the turmoil that rocked their party in the last few months leading up to the convention.

“We are here today, in this moment, because President Joe Biden made one of the greatest sacrifices to save this nation,” Nikki Fried, the state Democratic party chair, told delegates.

Democrats in Florida have recently become bullish about their chances in the Sunshine State despite serious doubts among some national operatives.

A refreshed Democratic Party reintroduces itself to a divided nation this week, having been transformed by the money, momentum, relief and even joy that followed Vice President Kamala Harris ′ rise to the top of its ticket.

The whiplash of the last month culminates in a convention that begins Monday in Chicago. Above all, the four-day gathering of thousands of activists and party leaders from across the nation is designed to celebrate and strengthen Harris as President Joe Biden’s replacement and boost her campaign to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November.

Just beneath the surface, real questions loom about the depth of Harris’ newfound support, the breadth of her coalition and the strength of her movement. Not even a month ago, Democrats were deeply divided over foreign policy, political strategy and Biden himself, who was holding on after his disastrous debate by suggesting he had a better chance than any Democrat — including Harris — of beating Trump.

As Democrats kick off their convention in Chicago, Donald Trump ’s campaign is trying to regain its footing after weeks of struggling to adjust to Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the opposing ticket.

Trump will attempt to undercut the Democratic celebration with a jam-packed schedule that includes daily events in battleground states tied to subjects where Republicans think they hold an advantage. It’s his busiest campaign week since the winter, when he faced challengers in the Republican primary.

But when Trump has held events billed as policy speeches throughout the campaign, they have often resembled his usual, rambling rally remarks. And as has long been the case during his political career, Trump has undercut his own message with outbursts and attacks that drown out anything else.

Crowds of activists are expected to gather in Chicago for protests outside the Democratic National Convention this week, hoping to call attention to such issues as economic injustice, reproductive rights and the war in Gaza.

While Vice President Kamala Harris has galvanized the party as she gears up to accept the Democratic nomination, activists say their plans to demonstrate haven’t changed. They’re ready to amplify their progressive message before the nation’s top Democratic leaders.

Their issues cover climate change, abortion rights and racial equality, to name a few, but many activists agree an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war is the overarching message of the demonstrations. They’ve likened it to the Vietnam War of their generation. The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the nation and buses are bringing activists to Chicago from all over the country.

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.