In pictures: The 2024 Democratic National Convention

Vice President Kamala Harris made history Thursday night as she formally accepted the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

 

“On behalf of the people; on behalf of every American regardless of party, race, gender, or the language your grandmother speaks; on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey; on behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams, and look out for one another; on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth, I accept your nomination for president of the United States of America,” she said as the crowd broke out in cheers at the Democratic National Convention.

 

Harris is the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major-party ticket. If elected, she would be the first woman and Indian American president.

 

“I know there are people of various political views watching tonight,” she said in her speech. “And I want you to know: I promise to be a president for all Americans. You can always trust me to put country above party and self.”

 

Harris announced her candidacy last month after President Joe Biden withdrew his reelection bid and endorsed her to succeed him. The party has moved quickly to coalesce behind Harris following Biden’s unprecedented exit.

 

Harris’ speech closed out the fourth and final day of the convention, which was held at the United Center in Chicago.

 

Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, spoke at the convention Wednesday night and said accepting the vice presidential nomination was “the honor of my life.” Former President Barack Obama gave the keynote speech Tuesday night, and Biden spoke the night before. All said they believe in Harris’ ability to lead.

 

“She’ll be a president we can all be proud of, and she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future,” Biden told the convention crowd on Monday.

 

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are joined by their spouses, Doug Emhoff and Gwen Walz, after Harris' speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, August 22

Harris and Walz hold hands after Harris' speech on Thursday.

Harris is joined by more family members on stage after her speech on Thursday.

Balloons fall from the ceiling of Chicago's United Center at the end of the convention on Thursday.

In describing her “unexpected” ascent to the top of the Democratic ticket, Harris said in her speech that  she is “no stranger to unlikely journeys.”  She shared that her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, immigrated to the United States from India with “an unshakable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer.” The vice president added that her mother was set to return home to have an arranged marriage but met her father, Donald Harris, a student from Jamaica, and fell in love.

Balloons and signs lie on the floor of the United Center at the end of the convention

Harris kisses her husband, Doug Emhoff, after her speech. Thursday was also their 10th wedding anniversary.

There were  100,000 red, white, and blue balloons  that fell from the United Center ceiling.

During her speech,  Harris shared what it was like being raised by her mother : “She was tough, a trailblazer. … She taught us to never complain about injustice, but do something about it! Do something about it. That was our mother. And she also taught us to never do anything half-assed. And that is a direct quote.

Harris' great-niece holds up a sign that says "go auntie, vote big" as the vice president gives her speech on Thursday

Harris delivers her speech on Thursday

Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, watches his wife take the stage

Harris takes the stage for her speech on Thursday

Photographers work during Harris' speech on Thursday

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks at the convention on Thursday. She said that Harris “gets us” while making the case to America’s women to elect her as president.

Delegates wave American flags on the convention floor Thursday

Singer Pink and her daughter, Willow,  perform "What About Us"  at the convention on Thursday.

Former US Rep. Gabby Giffords is joined by her husband, US Sen. Mark Kelly, as she gives a speech on Thursday. Giffords threw her support behind Harris as  she recalled being wounded during a mass shooting in 2011 . "My friend Kamala will be a great president,” Giffords said, adding that “Kamala can beat the gun lobby. She can fight gun trafficking.”

Basketball star Stephen Curry  endorsed Harris via video  on Thursday. Harris is an avid fan of Curry's NBA team, the Golden State Warriors

People place their hands over their hearts as  The Chicks sing the National Anthem  on Thursday

The Chicks perform the National Anthem on Thursday.

Actors Tony Goldwyn and Kerry Washington, who starred together on the TV show "Scandal," take the convention stage on Thursday. “I know that I’m the one standing on this stage, but I am not the lead character in this story,"  she told the crowd . "You are. All of you."

People inside the United Center watch US Sen. Elizabeth Warren speak on Thursday

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, second from right, speaks to media inside the United Center on Thursday. Shapiro was on the short list to be Harris' running mate

Convention attendees cast shadows on the upper level of the United Center on Thursday.

Convention attendees  wear white , the color associated with the suffragette movement, on Thursday.

“You know what I love about Kamala Harris? Kamala Harris can’t be bought, and she can’t be bossed around,”  Warren said in her speech Thursday .

Pro-Palestinian protesters speak outside the United Center on Thursday. Leaders of the  Uncommitted National Movement  were holding a sit-in outside the convention after being told on Wednesday night that its allies would not be allowed to address the United Center from the stage.

Mevlüt Hilmi Cinar prays inside the arena on Thursday.

Four of the “Central Park Five” take the stage Thursday along with the Rev. Al Sharpton. From left are Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, Sharpton and Raymond Santana. The men were arrested in 1989 — when they were teenagers — in connection with the rape and assault of a white female jogger, and they were eventually convicted. They were exonerated in 2014. Long before he was president, Donald Trump took out an expensive full-page advertisement in four New York City newspapers calling for the return of the death penalty for the teenagers. He stood by the ad then, and he has stood by it during his political career, including as president, long after the men had been exonerated. “That man thinks that hate is the animating force in America. It is not,”  Salaam said , issuing a call to action for people to vote for Harris. “I want you to walk with us. I want you to march with us. I want you to vote with us.”

Convention attendees and pro-Palestinian protesters gather outside the United Center on Thursday

Leonardo Williams, the mayor of Durham, North Carolina, speaks on Thursday

People walk outside the United Center on Thursday

If the cheesehead hat didn’t give it away, delegate Ryan Sorenson is from Wisconsin — specifically Sheboygan, a surfing destination also known as the “Malibu of the Midwest.” He said Thursday that Democrats are “energized and fired up and ready to go” in the battleground state. “We’re always a swing state,” he said. “It’s going to be close.”

The Rev. Geneva Allen-Patterson, a delegate from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, was attending the Democratic National Convention for the first time in her life at the age of 75. “This is a very, very historic moment that God has blessed me in this season of my life,” she said. She’s excited to witness a woman of color leading a presidential ticket, something that her mother and her grandmother were not able to see while they were alive. Like many delegates on Thursday, she was wearing white, the color of the suffragette movement. 

Brenda Hoskie, is a delegate from New Mexico and a member of the Navajo Nation. She’s also the party chair of McKinley County, and she’s focused on registering people to vote and making sure they vote. “Where we live, we are right next door to Arizona,” she said Thursday. “So I’ll be helping out Arizona with Apache County, Navajo County, Coconino County and that area, because our reservation just goes into that.”

Stephanie McGraw is from the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. “I’m here at the DNC this week to experience (Harris’) story, to experience a miracle, to experience a new sense of hope, to see the first female president-elect of the United States,” she said. “I’m here for every woman that has lost her voice. I’m here for every woman to help her find her voice. I’m here to let every woman know: Just believe that anything you want to do in this world, you can do it. And if your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is joined by his daughter, Hope; his son, Gus; and his wife, Gwen, at the convention on Wednesday. Walz said accepting the vice presidential nomination was  “the honor of my life.”

Rowan Curry holds up a USA sign on the convention floor on Wednesday.

Walz was introduced Wednesday with a video narrated by his wife. The video featured her telling the story of her husband’s life.

Walz's son, Gus, and his daughter, Hope,  get emotional  during their father's speech on Wednesda

Walz, a former high school football coach,  used a string of football analogies  to describe how he hopes Democrats win the White House in November. “We are driving down the field. And, boy, do we have the right team,” he said. “Kamala Harris is tough, Kamala Harris is experienced, and Kamala Harris is ready. Our job is to get into the trenches and do the blocking and tackling. One inch at a time, one yard at a time, one phone call at a time, one door knock at a time, one $5 donation at a time.”

Gwen Walz cries as the introduction video is shown before her husband's speech.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg gives a speech at the convention on Wednesday.  He slammed Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance : “Choosing a guy like JD Vance to be America’s next vice president sends a message, and the message is that they are doubling down on negativity and grievance, committing to a concept of campaigning best summed up in one word: darkness.”

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey speaks at the convention on Wednesday. She urged voters to elect Kamala Harris to the White House, framing November’s election as a fight for freedom.

A convention attendee wears a hat that says "President Kamala" on Wednesday

Winfrey is seen on a video screen inside the United Center. “Values and character matter most of all — in leadership and in life,”  Winfrey said . “Decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024. And just plain common sense tells you that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz can give us decency and respect.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro gives a speech at the convention on Wednesday

John Legend  performs a tribute to Prince  before Walz delivered his keynote address on Wednesday. Prince was a Minnesota native known for epitomizing “The Minneapolis Sound” at his home and studio, Paisley Park. Both Harris and Walz, Minnesota's governor, discussed their love of Prince’s music in a recent campaign video

From left, Alexander Hudlin, Jasper Emhoff and Arden Emhoff — Harris' niece and nephews — take the stage on Wednesday.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi walks on stage to give a speech on Wednesday. "We must choose leaders who believe in free and fair elections, who respect the peaceful transfer of power,”  Pelosi said . “The choice couldn’t be clearer. Those leaders are Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. (Tim) Walz.”

Former President Bill Clinton waves to the crowd on Wednesday. “In 2024, we've got a pretty clear choice, it seems to me,”  Clinton said in his speech . “Kamala Harris, for the people, and the other guy, who has proved even more than the first go-around that he’s about me, myself and I.

Clinton started his speech  by thanking President Joe Biden  for his service to the country. He said Biden’s decision to step aside from the reelection race will enhance his legacy.

Edith Delaney poses for a photo at the convention on Wednesday.

“Saturday Night Live” star Kenan Thompson  made fun of the conservative Project 2025  and talked to Americans that could be affected by its proposals. “You ever seen a document that could kill a small animal and democracy at the same time? Here it is,” Thompson said as he walked out onto the stage carrying a large book with the 920-page document

Actress Mindy Kaling, a longtime Harris supporter, emcees Wednesday's events.

Sketch artist Donald Owen Colley draws for the Chicago Reader newspaper on Wednesday

Legendary musician Stevie Wonder  performs his hit song "Higher Ground"  at the convention on Wednesday. "As we stand between history’s pain and tomorrow’s promises, we must choose courage over complacency," he said before his performance. "It is time to get up and go vote.”

US Rep. Bennie Thompson, who chaired the House select committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol,  speaks at the convention  on Wednesday. He said rioters came to Washington because Donald Trump couldn’t handle losing. “He lied about the election fraud," Thompson told the crowd. "He called his conspiracy-led mob to Washington. He would rather subvert democracy than submit to it. Now, he’s plotting again."

Media members work at the convention site on Wednesday.

Geoff Duncan, a former Republican lieutenant governor of Georgia, was among those who spoke Wednesday. “I am a Republican, but tonight I stand here as an American who cares more about the future of this country than the future of Donald Trump,”  said Duncan , who was the state’s lieutenant governor when Trump allegedly tried to overturn Georgia’s results in the 2020 election.

Carlos Eduardo Espina, an influencer and content creator,  speaks at the convention  on Wednesday. He argued that America is stronger with its culture of immigrants and called for those values to be protected in this election

Maren Morris performs her song “Better Than We Found It” on Wednesday.

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of  Hersh Goldberg-Polin , shared their “pain and misery” for their missing son on Wednesday. Hersh was kidnapped from the Nova music festival during Hamas’ attacks on Israel last year, and in April,  a video of him  was released by Hamas — the first sign since the attack that he was still alive. He is among the most recognizable of the  estimated 109 Israeli hostages  being held in Gaza as  negotiations for a ceasefire  between Israel and Hamas continue. Jon Polin said that  “the time is now”  for a deal to be made to release the hostages.

A person wears a pin showing Harris and Walz on Wednesd

US Sen. Cory Booker  speaks at the convention  on Wednesday. He said the third night of the convention was “about freedom” before introducing a group of speakers to talk for reproductive rights

US Sen. Elizabeth Warren, left, talks to CNN's Kaitlan Collins on the convention floor on Wednesday.

US Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, addresses the crowd on Wednesday.

Jae Moyer, a delegate from Johnson County, Kansas, poses for a portrait with a rainbow flag on Wednesday. Moyer said Harris has a strong record of supporting members of the LGBTQ community: “There is so much energy and joy and electricity in the air surrounding Kamala’s campaign.”

 

Indiana delegate and disability advocate Emily Voorde was attending her second Democratic convention. “The disabled vote is a significant one,” she said. “People with disabilities are actually the largest minority group in the country. One in four Americans lives with a disability, whether that be a learning disability, a mental health disability, a physical disability, long Covid.” She said she’s confident that Harris and Walz “will do best by our community.”

Former President Barack Obama delivers the keynote speech on Tuesday.  He told the crowd that he is “feeling hopeful”  because Harris is ready to step into the White House. “This convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where anything is possible,” Obama said to cheers. “Because we have a chance to elect someone who has spent her entire life trying to give people the same chances America gave her.

An audience member tears up while listening to Obama's speech on Tuesday.

Obama urged the crowd to fight for the America they believe in. He said that "for all the incredible energy we’ve been able to generate over the last few weeks, for all the rallies and the memes — this will still be a tight race in a closely divided country."

Obama's speech is shown on a TV screen inside the United Center on Tuesday

Obama embraces his wife, Michelle, as she introduced him for his speech on Tuesday

People hold USA signs at the United Center on Tuesday.

Michelle Obama  also gave a speech at the convention  on Tuesday. She was greeted by a long standing ovation before telling America that “hope is making a comeback.” Like her husband,  she was also very critical of former President Donald Trump and his policies , saying Trump has dug in on “ugly, misogynist, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will make people’s lives better.”

Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff,  speaks at the convention  on Tuesday. He said that his wife rises to the occasion “wherever she’s needed” and has done that for their family. During his speech,  he also recalled how he first met Harris  during a blind date in 2013 — sending the crowd into laughter after telling them Harris replays his first awkward voicemail to her every anniversary

Harris  appears via video  to symbolically accept the party's nomination after a ceremonial roll call on Tuesday. She and Walz were in Milwaukee for a campaign rally. “We are so honored to be your nominees,” Harris said. “This is a people-powered campaign, and together we will chart a new way forward.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom poses for a selfie during the convention on Tuesday. “There’s a sense of energy that’s beyond just these four walls,”  the governor told CNN . “You see it out there, you feel it out there."

During the roll call, DJ Cassidy played a song representative of each delegation. For example, Alabama got Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.” Florida got “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty, a native of the state. California got “The Next Episode,” Dr. Dre’s West Coast classic featuring Snoop Dogg.

Texas delegates cheer during Tuesday's ceremonial roll call.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, center right, poses for a photo on Tuesda

Rapper Lil Jon performs two of his classics, “Get Low” and “Turn Down for What,” during Georgia's roll call on Tuesday.

Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta holds a Project 2025 book while speaking at the convention on Tuesday.  The 920-page document  was organized by The Heritage Foundation think tank and developed in significant part by people who served in Donald Trump’s administration. Its proposals for right-wing policies and a radical reshaping of the executive branch  have become frequent targets of Democratic criticism .

Stephanie Grisham, a former White House press secretary under Trump,  speaks at the convention  on Tuesday. Grisham said she is advocating for a Democrat "because I love my country more than my party. Kamala Harris tells the truth, she respects the American people and she has my vote.

People cheer as Teamster union members take the stage at the convention on Tuesda

Angie Gialloreto, at 95 years old, was the oldest delegate at the convention. She’s from Wilkins Township, Pennsylvania, and  has been to every Democratic National Convention since 1976 . She said Tuesday that it is thrilling to see Harris as the next potential president. “I’m up in age. I won’t enjoy all the fruits that she produces. But I’m sure young ones will, and I thank God for that,” she said. On attending the next convention in four years, she said: “Let’s be realistic. Time is ticking away. But if I’m still here, damn it, I’ll be there.”

Isaac Winkler, a 17-year-old from Minnesota, was the youngest delegate at the convention. “Young people need to be a part of politics because the policy decisions that are made today will affect them more than anyone else in the world,” he said. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate, is “exactly what he comes across as, and that’s just a very genuine guy,” Winkler said.

Arshia Papari, left, was one of the youngest delegates at the convention. The 19-year-old is a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in government. He and his friend Roman Fritz, a fellow delegate and student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, were wearing scarves that say Democrats for Palestinian Rights. “We have 210 delegates signed on to a letter that will be sent to our Democratic leadership to call for an immediate ceasefire and arms embargo on Israel,” Papari said.

Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson, right, said he’s really excited about Harris’ candidacy and “what she brings, which is joy, a new perspective, dedication and commitment to uniting our country, and really elevating the voices of people who’ve been marginalized across the country.”

resident Joe Biden and Harris embrace after his keynote address on Monday. “I love you,”  the vice president was seen saying .

Biden and Harris hold hands after his speech. “She’ll be a president we can all be proud of, and she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future," Biden said in his speech.

Biden was greeted by  more than four minutes of applause  when he first took the stage Monday. People in the crowd held signs that said, "Thank you Joe." They also chanted the phrase

Biden embraces his wife, Jill, after his speech. “America, I gave my best to you,”  he said

Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson gets emotional while Biden speaks Monday

“All this talk about how I’m angry at all the people who said I should step down — that’s not true,”  Biden said . “I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy.”

Biden appears to wipe away tears as he is greeted by his daughter, Ashley, who introduced him to the crowd Monday.

 

Delegates hold up signs for Jill Biden as she gives a speech at the convention on Monday.

In her speech,  the first lady recounted personal memories about her husband  as a father, lawmaker and president. “Joe and I have been together for almost 50 years and still, there are moments when I fall in love with him all over again,” she said.

Harris talks with Walz from a VIP suite at the United Center

US Rep. Jamie Raskin speaks at the convention on Monday. Raskin was a member of the House select committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.  During his speech Monday , he called out each battleground state in attendance and asked: “Are we going to go back to the days of election suppression and violent insurrection?

Harris takes the stage on Monday.

US Sen. Raphael Warnock is seen on United Center screens as he gives a speech on Monda

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the first woman in history to lead a major-party ticket,  speaks at the convention on Monday . "It was the honor of my life to accept our party’s nomination for president," she said of her 2016 campaign. "And nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there are no ceilings on our dreams. And afterwards we refused to give up on America: millions marched, many ran for office, we kept our eyes on the future. Well, my friends, the future is here. I wish my mother and Kamala’s mother could see us. They would say, ‘Keep going.’ ”

Convention attendees walk inside the United Center on Monday

US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,  speaking at the convention on Monday , said Harris is committed to the middle class, to reproductive and civil rights, and to bringing about a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing hostages home

The Rev. Jesse Jackson  is honored on stage  at the Democratic National Convention on Monday. In recent years,  Jackson’s battle with Parkinson’s disease  has largely taken him out of the national spotlight, but Democrats cheered as the 82-year-old civil rights leader appeared alongside the Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP President Derrick Johnson.

Content creator Joshua Martin records a video from the convention floor on Monday

In her first convention remarks on Monday,  Harris thanked President Biden  for his "historic leadership." Looking toward November, she said people from all backgrounds will “come together and declare with one voice, as one people: We are moving forward.”

Pelosi attends the convention on Monday.

Amanda and Josh Zurawski, left, join Kaitlyn Joshua and Hadley Duvall on stage as they speak about reproductive rights on Monday.  The Zurawskis  were told that they were going to lose their baby, but they had to wait days — until Amanda’s life was in jeopardy — to receive an abortion because they lived in Texas, they said.

A person in the crowd is dressed as a donkey, the Democrats' political symbol, on Monday

Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow speaks at the convention on Monday.

US Rep. Maxine Waters gives a speech on Monday.

US Sen. Dick Durbin is seen on a United Center screen as he delivers remarks at the convention on Monday.

A convention attendee wears a Pelosi button on Monday

Union supporters hold up signs on Monday. Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers,  threw the support of his powerful union behind Harris on Monday , and he thanked President Biden for his past support.

Jamie Harrison, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, kicks off the convention Monday with convention chair Minyon Moore.

Heather Pirowski, left, is an Indiana delegate and breast cancer survivor. She said she was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2020. “I didn’t realize that when you have dense breasts, mammograms don’t work (and) we need additional diagnostic testing,” she said as she posed for a portrait on Monday. “When I looked at our legislation in Indiana, we really did not have anything that talked about that. So I formed Hoosier Breast Cancer Advocates, and with a couple other advocate friends, we actually passed legislation that was bipartisan and unanimously voted on

Saffiyyah Muhammad, right, didn’t have to go far to attend the convention. She’s from Chicago. She said she cried when she learned that Harris would be the Democratic nominee, and she has volunteered her time to help support the campaign. “To be a part of this history, it’s very exciting — and it’s emotional,” she said. Muhammad, like Harris, is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, a historically Black sorority.

Jacen Bowman, left, is a delegate from Philadelphia. “I see that there has been this resurgence of energy,” Bowman said. “There has been this resurgence of people that are just excited about what’s going on now, especially when it comes to millennials and Gen Z. … Kamala represents what America looks like. America is a place that is inclusive. It’s about equality. I think it is important that we have a woman commander in chief, especially a Black woman. I haven’t seen as much excitement since Obama ran for office.”

Jared Schablein, a delegate from Maryland, brought a stuffed muskrat with him to the convention. “The muskrat is an animal local to my community on the Eastern Shore of Maryland,” he said. Princess Anne, Maryland, also hosts a New Year’s Eve muskrat drop. Schablein said he was “incredibly excited” when Harris became the nominee and that he was happy to be one of the first in Maryland to publicly support her. He also said he was “over the moon” when Harris selected Walz as her running mate. “Rural America doesn’t typically get represented,” he said.

A portrait of Harris sits outside the United Center on Monday

Protesters gather outside the United Center on Monday.  Thirteen people were arrested  during protests related to the convention on Monday, according to Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling. Ten of those arrests stemmed from a small group that  breached  a portion of the northern security perimeter fence at the United Center, he said.

Media members work at the convention on Monday.

A man stands in front of the stage ahead of Monday night's events.

Merchandise is sold at the convention on Monday

are lined up at the United Center before Monday night's speeches

Media trailers are set up outside the United Center on Monday

A television journalist works from his booth inside the United Center on Sunday

A boat carrying pro-Palestinian protesters, bottom, travels along the Chicago River on Sunday.

Photos: The 2024 Democratic National Convention | CNN Politics

In pictures: The 2024 Democratic National Convention | CNN Politics