From Aug. 19 to 22, Chicago welcomed 50,000 delegates, volunteers, and attendees to the Democratic National Convention. The DNC occurs every four years in the midst of the election cycle, serving formally as an opportunity for delegates to elect the Democratic nominee and informally for the party to share its message with the American public.
A handful of Harvard students were fortunate enough to attend the event, either through Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP) or through other programs and jobs. This was the first year the IOP was able to sponsor a small group of attendees, exposing undergraduates to political leaders, strategists, and media while enabling them to share the IOP’s mission.
Hana O’Looney ’26 shared her IOP-sponsored experience at the DNC. “Each day of the convention, I met incredible legislative staffers, local Democratic Party organizers, union members, and activists who shared their incredible life journeys to get to their current level of involvement in politics to get a seat in Chicago—it was inspiring.”
Despite the fact that Chicago has hosted the most presidential nominating conventions of any city, this year’s DNC was particularly memorable. Biden bowing out of the race and endorsing Vice President Harris for President turned the DNC on its head and shifted the energy of the convention. Instead of addressing the American people as an incumbent candidate, President Biden gave a farewell address and enabled a new era of the Democratic Party to take hold.
However, as Biden delivered his final address, the DNC highlighted the potential for a new wave of energy and support for the party and the new ticket from a diverse group of voters. According to a Gallup poll, 78% of voters are “more enthusiastic” about voting than usual, compared to only 55% in March. Analysts attribute this jump in large part to Biden ending his re-election campaign and endorsing Vice President Harris.
“The energy was electric,” Da’Vion Tatum ’25, an invitee of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC and a political content creator, said. “When I tell you, people were invigorated when they found out that Biden stepped aside and Kamala Harris stepped up, and you could feel that. You could also see that people saw hope again. That is contagious.”
Signe Smith ’27 attended the DNC through the IOP. Even attending through a different program than Tatum, she too described the energy as “electric.” She attributed the energy to “so many people from all over repping their states, whether they were delegates or regular people. Especially day one, people were decked out in star-spangled whatever, like a whole America getup.”
O’Looney echoed Smith’s sentiments. “The energy at the DNC was truly insane. I can honestly say that I’ve never felt the spirit of people more excited to elect a candidate than what I saw, heard, and felt at McCormick Convention Center—and I’ve been involved with a lot of political campaigns.”
She further described her perspective on how the Harris-Walz ticket impacted the energy. “Instead of forced enthusiasm motivated by fear of the opposing ticket, I think this convention demonstrated authentic energy motivated by excitement for the home team,” said O’Looney. “Kamala Harris and Tim Walz were both wonderful, the party did an incredible job of showcasing their humanity and lifelong careers of public service, and I left each day of the convention inspired by the capacity of mankind to serve and the direction of political leadership in this country.”
This newfound energy for the Democratic ticket is evident in polls too, not just on the convention floor. Real Clear Polling, which aggregates data from top polling agencies, shows Harris leading Trump 48.1 to 46.3 as of this week.
The Harris-Walz ticket could be a pivotal executive office. “The concept of having the first Black woman President, the first woman president—it’s such a historic moment. I think a lot of people really wanted to be a part of that,” Smith commented, explaining how this context influenced the DNC, from the speaker lineup to the attendees themselves.
This pride in the potential history-making race and at the convention itself created noteworthy energy, even outside of true blue Democrats. In his speech, Former U.S. House Representative and Republican Adam Kinzinger said, “But I’ve learned something about the Democratic Party, and I want to let my fellow Republicans in on the secret: The Democrats are as patriotic as us.” Smith said that quote “really encapsulates what it seems like the theme was throughout the convention. It really seemed like they were trying to reclaim patriotism.”
On the final night, the convention handed out American flags to all of the participants. Smith recounted, “I had never been around that many American flags and not felt unsafe.” She continued to explain that she instead “felt camaraderie—it felt as if in that moment, everyone in that arena was after the same things and fighting for the same things. I also felt hope again, that sense of unity between Americans, despite political parties or political ideals.”
Smith added that when talking to fellow attendees, the same sentiments appeared. “That was the first time that they felt proud of America in a long time.”
These patriotic attitudes are significant because patriotism has more recently been associated with the Republican Party, rather than the Democratic Party, and because of the DNC’s diverse array of attendees.
Tatum said, “It was the most diverse space I think I’ve seen, and with that many people, it was so powerful to see that, and to see the Democratic Party has actually tried and succeeded at reaching various groups of people… I saw a campaign that was trying to be focused on the collection rather than in unification, rather than in division, as it pertained to people who may not share similar beliefs.”
Tova Kaplan ’26 worked for the Democratic National Convention as an Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection Intern this spring and political consultant this summer. She described the DNC’s approach and her experience at the convention. “I’m just very pleased with the tone that the campaign has taken, this embrace of hope and joy. And like, love for your country, the rebranding of patriotism from blind nationalism that doesn’t really resonate with a lot of young people to something deeper, where you’re working to improve your country.”
The Harvard students who attended discussed the event in emotional terms, sharing how speakers evoked newfound patriotism and hope for the Democratic ticket.
Smith shared, “It honestly felt less like a Democratic National Convention [and more like] a convention of people who care about the well-being of other people. Yes, there was political rhetoric, but I think more than anything, the convention played a lot on people’s emotions.”
Kaplan shared her take on these emotional appeals and the politics of joy. “Maybe the fever of anger and grievance politics may be breaking, and we can kind of rebrand and re-embrace a form of politics that appeals to something a little bit deeper and more genuine in people.”
As Tatum talked about his DNC experience, he shared, “It was interesting to hear different perspectives, different age groups, different generations, different ethnicities, races, genders, people who had different life experiences, which I feel really helped contribute to a very powerful conversation.”
While the DNC illustrated the hope and momentum of the campaign, Kaplan explained that the DNC’s work is far from done. “I don’t want to be naively optimistic, but I definitely feel more enthusiastic than I have in a while, while working here…people at the DNC are just some of the most passionate, intelligent people that you know. They really take the weight of the country on their shoulders a lot of the time.”
The DNC put the Democratic Party and Harris in the national spotlight, receiving an array of positive press. Yet, as the general public and these students return to their normal lives, the DNC and the Harris campaign’s mission is just beginning.
Tatum summed up his experience in one, succinct message. “Vote. Do not relinquish your power,” he said. “Remember the importance of your voice and getting involved.”
Hannah Davis ’25 (hannahdavis@college.harvard.edu) is a Chicago native and already registered to vote in the 2024 election.