Harris takes stage at Democratic National Convention: What to watch for

CHICAGO — Vice President Harris will deliver her keynote address Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention, accepting her party’s presidential nomination in an event few would have predicted just a few months ago.

The whole week has been about celebrating Harris and setting up tonight. Now it is time for the presumptive nominee to deliver at the United Center, and to the millions watching on television.

Here’s what to watch for on the convention’s final day.

Harris

Harris’s speech will be the biggest moment yet of her political career.

It comes just a month after President Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed her. Since then, she’s quickly unified her party and given it hope of victory in November. On Thursday night, she’s tasked with keeping up the momentum while introducing herself, as a presidential nominee, to an even larger audience.

Harris will focus on her background, emphasizing her roots in a middle-class neighborhood with a working mom.

Attacks on former President Trump and the conservative Project 2025 agenda are also in the cards.

Big Democratic stars have performed for Harris this week, including Biden, former Presidents Clinton and Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee who won the popular vote and nearly broke the highest glass ceiling in American life.

Harris’s challenge Thursday night is to cap a week that has energized Democrats and build further momentum for her campaign.  

Celebrity appearances

The big question Thursday night is who will show up at the United Center besides Harris.

The public knows that the musical artist Pink will perform, and the Chicks are slated to deliver the national anthem.

Rumors have circulated all week that Beyoncé, whose “Freedom” is the unofficial theme song of the Harris campaign, could make an appearance. Speculation has also centered on Taylor Swift, whose endorsement would be huge for Democrats.

Wednesday night set the bar high with appearances from comedians Kenan Thompson and Mindy Kaling and performances from singers John Legend, Stevie Wonder and Maren Morris. Oprah Winfrey also made a surprise appearance.

But one would think there could be more surprises ahead of Thursday night.

Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), who survived a shooting at a constituent event, are both expected to speak Thursday night.

Kelly, who was in the running to be Harris’s vice presidential pick before she selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will likely appeal to swing state voters like those in his home state of Arizona. He is a moderate voice on immigration policy and has blasted former President Trump in recent weeks over comments on military veterans.

Giffords is a leading voice in the gun violence prevention movement and a friend of Harris’s. While Harris has said she’s committed to building on the gun control work of the Biden administration, Giffords is a pivotal surrogate for the campaign on that work.

Gretchen Whitmer and Roy Cooper

Two other Democrats who were considered potential running mates for Harris, Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Roy Cooper of North Carolina, will speak Thursday.

Whitmer became a household name when she delivered the Democratic response to Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address, and she represents swing state Michigan, which is critical for any Democrat who wants to win.

It’s also a state that emerged as a hurdle for Biden, as thousands of voters in the Democratic primary voted “uncommitted” to protest his handling of Israel’s war in Gaza.

Cooper has a strong relationship with Harris because the two were both attorneys general of their respective states. Democrats are eyeing North Carolina, which Trump won in 2016 and 2020, as a potential southern state flip.

Katherine Clark and Maxwell Frost

Several House Democrats will speak Thursday night, including Reps. Katherine Clark (Mass.) and Maxwell Frost (Fla.).

Clark, the House Democratic whip, is a leading voice for reproductive rights and women’s empowerment in Congress. Her speech follows other Democratic leaders who spoke the night before, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) and caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (Calif.).

Frost, the first Generation Z member of Congress, represents the youth vote with which Democrats are hoping they can make gains now that Harris has replaced Biden as the nominee. He represents Florida, Trump’s home state and one where Harris has also made recent gains, and is a gun violence prevention advocate.