CHICAGO — With 75 days until the Nov. 5 general election, Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepted her nomination as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in an arena filled with supporters holding up “Kamala” signs.
“My entire career, I’ve only had one client: the people,” Ms. Harris said after talking about her former career as a prosecutor. “And so, on behalf of the people … I accept your nomination.”
“I promise to be a president for all Americans,” she added.
For many Democrats, this was not the Democratic National Convention they expected. After President Biden stepped down as the nominee one month ago, the party quickly rallied around Ms. Harris. In turn, she hit the campaign trail, later with her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in battleground states against her opponent former President Donald Trump.
“The consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious,” Ms. Harris said on the fourth day of the DNC at the United Center.
She named the riots at the Capital building in January, 2021, Trump’s 34 convicted felony counts, and some of his administration’s previous policies as among those consequences.
With 75 days until the election, Ms. Harris has some work to do. Her campaign website is absent from any specific policies she would adopt if elected. On Trump’s campaign website, his platform is clearly outlined. However, on Thursday night, Ms. Harris took to the stage to start rolling out some of her proposed policies.
If elected, she promised to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would allow voters across the United States to participate equally in elections. She also pledged to pass a bipartisan border security bill in an attempt to eliminate illegal immigration.
Since Ms. Harris has launched her campaign, she has come under scrutiny for her response to the war in Gaza. During the DNC week, advocates have held protests, criticizing the vice president for her lack of support to Palestinians as the death toll in Gaza climbs.
“President Biden and I are working around the clock because now is the time to get a hostage deal and a cease-fire deal done,” she said.
At campaign rallies, Ms. Harris has promised to expand the Child Tax Credit, giving families up to $6,000 when they have a child. Trump’s running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R., Ohio), has also expressed interest in expanding the program, saying on CBS’s Face the Nation that he would like to give a tax credit of $5,000 per child.
In order to help more families at the grocery store, Ms. Harris also promised to pass a federal law against price gouging by grocery stores to bring down the cost of living, and at restaurants, she supported Trump in his policy of getting rid of taxes on tips, which received criticism from Republicans.
“Copy Cat Kamala is a dishonest, fraudulent failure,” Steven Cheung, a campaign communications director for Trump, wrote in a statement earlier this month. “She won’t sit down and answer questions about why she stole President Trump’s No Tax on Tips proposal.”
Tips are currently treated as a standard income, and are therefore subjected to federal income and payroll taxes. However, tips are typically underreported. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated that exempting tips from taxes would reduce revenue by $150 to $250 billion between Fiscal Year 2026 and 2035.
To make housing more affordable, Ms. Harris has promised up to $25,000 in support for first-time homebuyers and $40 billion to create new homes.
“As president, she will build 3 million new homes and rentals, limit unfair rent increases, and offer down payment support for first-time homeowners,” said Ohio’s Marcia Fudge, the former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. “… She knows housing is a human right and a pathway to the middle class.”
Other legislators, civil rights leaders, and activists took to the stage Thursday to give a personal glimpse at the vice president. The theme of night four was “For Our Future.”
“This November, let’s elect the president that will lean forward to embrace the future,” U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D., Lansing) said. “Because America doesn’t follow. We don’t retreat. We are the damn United States of America. We lead.”
Ms. Slotkin is facing a competitive race herself for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat, currently held by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich). Ms. Slotkin is challenging former Republican U.S. Rep. and Trump-endorsed candidate Mike Rogers of White Lake, Mich. If Mr. Rogers wins the seat in November, it will be the first time a Democrat has lost the Senate race since 1994.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer reminded delegates that a lot has happened in the past four years, from a riot on Capitol Hill to a pandemic. In the next four years, she asked them who they would want leading the country.
“When something happens, something hit the fan, you’ll ask, ‘Is my family going to be OK?’ and then you’ll ask, ‘Who the hell is in charge?’” Ms. Whitmer said. “What if it’s him?”
Ms. Whitmer was rumored early as a possible choice for Ms. Harris’ pick as vice president, but she was not vetted. She is a co-chairman for Ms. Harris’ campaign and vice chairman for the DNC.
Lucas County Commissioner Lisa Sobecki appeared on the stage Thursday night to stand with elected veterans and U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.). Mr. Gallego praised Ms. Harris for doing more for veterans than Trump, specifically highlighting the lowest veteran unemployment rate in history under the Biden-Harris administration. Ms. Sobecki, a U.S Navy veteran, told The Blade the experience was “amazing.”
Basketball star and Akron-native Stephen Curry appeared in a virtual, pre-recorded video to voice his support for the vice president.
“I was with my team in the White House last year, and I can tell you one thing I knew then, and I definitely know now,” Mr. Curry said. “The Oval Office suits her well.”
While the Democrats’ week in Chicago comes to a close, Trump and Mr. Vance are continuing to campaign in key battleground states. Trump was in Motezuma Pass, Ariz. on Thursday, while Mr. Vance visited Valdosta, Ga. to talk about immigration. Each day of their tour has a theme, mimicking a traditional convention. Thursday’s theme was “Make America Secure Again,” during which Trump criticized migrant crimes under the Biden-Harris administration and promised to carry out the largest deportation sweep in the country’s history.
At Trump Tower in Chicago, Columbus entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Carlos Trujillo, the former U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States during Trump’s presidency, held a news conference to also criticize border control under the current administration.
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