Note: The Wildcat Chronicle was one of a handful of student newspapers in Illinois to be invited to receive official press credentials to cover the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 19-22. High school reporters were not invited to the Republican National Convention, held earlier in the summer.
Although Chicago has a long history with politics – and corruption – the Windy City has not hosted a Democratic National Convention since 1996.
Prior to heading to United Center Aug. 19-22 to officially nominate current United States Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democrats’ nominee for President, some wondered whether the city of Chicago was truly prepared to host the convention. After all, the city has seen a surge in crime since in the pandemic, causing CBS News to declare Chicago “a symbol of urban America’s decay,” and The New York Post to headline an article “Crime-filled Chicago displays all that’s wrong with Democrats in one failing city.”
While the convention was not without issues, including a lack of seating for ticketed delegates, media, and members of Congress on Aug. 22, as well as daily protests in nearby Union Park, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson deemed the DNC a success, saying, “There were individuals who were rooting against Chicago. And they were rooting for violence and gang violence,” before asking, “What they gonna say now?”
The convention brought Democrats together for a series of caucus meetings, as well as nightly speeches featuring some of the party’s most prominent, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, among others. Surprise guest speaker and independent Oprah Winfrey, who previously called Chicago home, also made an appearance on Aug. 21.
In the months to come, both parties and Presidential candidates will hit the campaign trail. Former President Donald Trump is looking to hold rallies in La Crosse, WI, and Johnstown, PA, next week, and rumor (as teased by the Trump campaign itself) has it that Robert F. Kennedy will officially endorse the Republican candidate in Arizona on Aug. 30. Meanwhile, Harris is allegedly headed to Georgia, which is largely considered a battleground state.
