'I feel patriotic': Knox County DNC delegates say they're ready to work for Kamala Harris

After the traditional red, white and blue balloons fell on the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Knox County delegates said they were energized to get Vice President Kamala Harris elected.

William Mendoza-Euceda, the youngest delegate from Tennessee at 18 years old, called Knox News from the convention floor. Knoxville City Council member Debbie Helsley and local volunteer Jack Vaughan spoke to us as they walked out of the convention after 11 p.m. Chicago time. Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon called us from the airport before her early morning flight back to Knoxville.

Here's what they had to say:

Knox News: You just witnessed history. How are you feeling?

Helsley: I think everybody's ready to get to work. Everyone's just gonna take this back home and work hard (until the election).

Kincannon: I guess I would say I'm cautiously optimistic. I think it's a really positive sign that most people are talking about (Harris') qualifications as a former prosecutor and state attorney general, a vice president, and her background as a working-class daughter of a single mom, daughter of immigrants ... not the fact that she's a woman. For someone like me, the fact that she's a woman is icing on the cake. I want her to win for the future well-being of our country.

Mendoza-Euceda: A lot of people are motivated, a lot of people are excited. I talked to some people that were talking about how they haven't felt like this in years. I feel patriotic. ... The Democratic Party has taken back the American flag.

Vaughan: Energized and ready to get to work. We've got 75 days to get the job done here in Knox County, making the case for Kamala Harris. And everyone is just thrilled to have experienced that moment in person.

You saw several Republicans take the stage this week. Do you think their message reached members of their party?

Kincannon: I hope so. I thought that was a really concerted effort. One of my colleagues, Mayor (John Giles) of Mesa, Arizona ... he's a lifelong Republican and he's supporting Kamala Harris even though he doesn't agree with her 100%. He has huge, fundamental misgivings about the leadership of Donald Trump and isn't afraid to say so.

Mendoza-Euceda: I think it will. There are a lot of Republicans who don't like Trump. You know, people who are struggling day-to-day, Americans who are Republican, she is going to fight for them.

Vaughan: I mean, I can speak to my two parents, I grew up in a Republican household in the suburbs of West Knoxville. (My parents are) two public school teachers who voted Republican. My mom's voting for Kamala and my dad voted for a Democrat for the first time two years ago. I think those are an example of two suburban former Republicans who voted for (John) McCain, Mitt Romney, but left the Republican in the Trump era.

We've talked several times this week about Tennessee taking its place on the Democratic stage. Do you feel like the delegation accomplished that?

Kincannon: Absolutely. First, you know, Hillary Clinton gave a shoutout to our history. But also on a purely optical level, somehow ... we had some really good seats that happened to be on camera a lot. And so, people from home were like 'Hey I just saw you on TV.' It's good (for Knoxvillians) to know that Tennessee is represented at the convention.

Mendoza-Euceda: We were the first delegates in the nation to give (Harris) all our delegates , we accomplished that. ... We did do a good job of putting our name out there. Even though Gloria Johnson and the Tennessee Three didn't get to speak, people knew about them. I think we're ready.

Do you feel like Harris' acceptance speech accomplished what it needed to?

Mendoza-Euceda: I think it did, I think she said everything she needed to say. She did a good job in immigration, one of the big things they were attacking about. It's good that we can secure our border, but we can also (welcome) immigrants who want to live here and make it easier for them.

Vaughan: It was definitely a policy-based speech, and the convention has been, of course, a bit about personality. So it was definitely a balance of personality ... with prioritizing issues of gun violence, reproductive rights, affordable housing.

Kincannon specified to Knox News that taxpayers did not pay for her or Helsley's travel to the convention.

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: 'I feel patriotic': Knox County DNC delegates say they're ready to work for Kamala Harris