Chicago mayor addresses convention, celebrates Harris with ‘she’s got us’ refrain
CHICAGO — With a repeated refrain of “she’s got us,” Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday evening addressed Democratic National Convention attendees and touted Vice President Kamala Harris as a unifier and natural leader.
“Together, we can build a better, brighter future, and there’s no better place to start that than right here in the greatest freaking city in the world, the city of Chicago,” Johnson said in his brief remarks that mentioned civil rights leader Ida B. Wells, Rev. Jesse Jackson and former President Barack Obama.
The mayor’s address followed a call to order from Democratic National Convention Committee chair Minyon Moore, an invocation from Cardinal Blase Joseph Cupich, acknowledgement of the ancestral lands by members of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, presentation of the colors by the Illinois State Police Honor Guard, the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the national anthem.
Later, President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden addressed the convention.
The Bidens landed at O’Hare International Airport shortly before 3 p.m. and boarded a new Marine One helicopter for the short flight to Soldier Field. They were greeted by Gov. JB Pritzker and his wife MK Pritzker, senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, Rep. Danny Davis, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
From Soldier Field, the president and first lady traveled to the United Center, where they were seen on stage at about 3:45, checking microphones and teleprompters in preparation for their evening remarks. The president’s remarks that were expected late in the 9 o’clock hour weren’t delivered until nearly 10:30 p.m. CT.
Some segments of the scheduled program were skipped as remarks ran long.
“Because of the raucous applause interrupting speaker after speaker, we ultimately skipped elements of our program to ensure we could get to President Biden as quickly as possible so that he could speak directly to the American people,” convention officials said in a statement to WGN. “We are proud of the electric atmosphere in our convention hall and proud that our convention is showcasing the broad and diverse coalition behind the Harris-Walz ticket throughout the week on and off the stage.”
Monday started with a breakfast for the Illinois Delegation. Gov. Pritzker spoke to the delegates at that meeting. He is expected to speak at the convention later this week.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made surprise appearances throughout the morning events at McCormick Place, including at the AAPI caucus.
He thanked the crowd for their hard work and asked them to keep their enthusiasm up for the final 78 days to election day.
After more than a year of planning, Chicago is at the center of the political spotlight this week as host of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Day 1 Recap:
Day 1 of DNC wraps with Biden giving Harris an enthusiastic endorsement
Chicago mayor addresses convention, celebrates Harris: ‘she’s got us’
Harris praises Biden in surprise DNC appearance
Protesters breach portion of DNC security barrier
Photos: Celebs spotted at the DNC
Biden takes maiden flight on new ‘Marine One’ in Chicago
Lt. Gov Stratton: Biden among most effective presidents; Harris best to defeat Trump
Carol Moseley Braun, Illinois’ first female senator, affirms Harris’ readiness
The convention runs through Thursday. Chicago has hosted Democrats 12 times, the last being nearly 30 years ago when President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second term.
WGN Cover Story: Why Chicago has hosted more presidential conventions than any other city.
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