Several prominent Democratic figures will speak at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this month, two sources familiar with the plans told NBC News.
President Joe Biden, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have been confirmed as speakers at the convention. Obama and the Clintons delivered speeches at the 2020 DNC, which was held largely virtually to prevent the spread of Covid-19 during the pandemic.
Jason Carter, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, will also speak on behalf of his grandfather, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The convention, scheduled for Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, comes weeks after Biden announced his withdrawal from the race following widespread calls from Democrats to withdraw after his disastrous performance in a June debate against former President Donald Trump. His campaign suffered large losses in donations, and some backers withdrew their support for the president in the aftermath.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who ran unopposed for the Democratic presidential nomination after Biden withdrew from the race, secured a majority of delegate votes to win the nomination during virtual voting earlier this month. Harris’ campaign last week announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.
Harris, the first Black woman and the first Indian-American in US history to secure the presidential nomination of a major party, will formally accept the Democratic Party nomination at the convention.
The momentum leading up to the convention has been building since Harris announced her presidential campaign last month. There has been a significant increase in requests for access to the main event space at the United Center and other convention-related events around the city, people close to the convention and event planning told NBC News.
Harris’ campaign raised a whopping $310 million last month, and $36 million in the 24 hours after she announced Walz as her running mate.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
