At DNC Roll Call, California Shines as Harris Seals Nomination

CHICAGO — The mood inside Chicago’s United Center was electric Tuesday night as California’s Democratic delegation cast their 482 votes for Vice President Kamala Harris, putting her over the edge to clinch the Democratic nomination for president.

It was technically a ceremonial vote — Democrats participated in a virtual roll call in early August to nominate Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. However, as this is a convention, the party chose to embrace the pomp and circumstance. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed were on hand to participate in the pageantry, with Newsom giving a short speech before Harris’ home state cast their votes.

“California’s the most diverse state in the world’s most diverse democracy. We pride ourselves on living together; we band together and prosper together across everything conceivable and imaginable,” said Newsom, as he stood beside a beaming Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Los Angeles Rep. Maxine Waters and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber. “But the thing we pride ourselves on the most on is that we believe the future happens in California first.”

Newsom said he’s watched, for over 20 years, “the future taking shape” as he saw Harris’ career unfold.

“I saw that star fighting for criminal justice, racial justice, economic justice and social justice. I saw that star get even brighter as attorney general, as senator and as Vice President of the United States of America,” Newsom said. “Kamala Harris has always done the right thing and championed the voting rights, civil rights, LGBTQ rights. It’s time for us to do the right thing. And that is to elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States.”

With that, the arena went wild — and Harris and Walz appeared on the jumbotrons from a rally they simultaneously held in Milwaukee.

“We are so honored to be your nominees. This is a people-powered campaign, and together, we will chart a new way forward,” Harris declared to raucous cheers.

Earlier, just outside the storied arena where Michael Jordan once led the Chicago Bulls, Breed reflected on the enormity of this moment. The mayor has known Harris for decades and credited the vice president for convincing Breed to run for office.

“I don’t know how to describe it; everywhere I go, I see Kamala’s images, people wearing their Harris T-shirts,” Breed said. “There’s a lot of energy and excitement for what this moment means and how people are fired up and ready to work hard across this country to make sure she gets elected.”

For California delegates like Shay Franco-Clausen, the nomination of the first Black woman on a major presidential ticket was a moment to savor. Franco-Clausen, who is from Harris’ hometown of Oakland, said Black women have been waiting “for 410 years” for this moment.

“I feel like there are no words to describe how emotional, how I feel this spirit of hope, how the energy here is really getting me hyped up,” she said.

Franco-Clausen broke down in tears as she reflected on the historic nature of Harris’ nomination, saying it is “so personal” and says to the world that Black women can do anything.

“As a Black woman, we always have to work 10 times harder just to be seen in any room I am in,” she said. “But I am here because I am my ancestor’s greatest gift. I am my ancestor’s legacy — and my grandmother and great-grandmother were slaves, and they are not able to be here to see me on the floor voting for the first Black woman to be the president of the United States.”

Even longtime political figures were impressed by the moment.

“The size and the breadth, the diversity of this delegation — look at this delegation,” said former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, gesturing toward the dozens of rows of Golden State delegates amassed in front of the convention stage. “This is a delegation that looks like California, that looks like America.”

Seated a few rows in front of Villaraigosa, Los Angeles Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove marveled at the boisterous crowd.

“It is so electric to be in this convention hall with all this energy and momentum,” she said. “People are unified for the future, wanting to work together, to mobilize voters, to talk about what is possible for this country — it is amazing.”

Aimee Allison, founder and president of She the People, has spent her career working to elect women of color to office. She called Harris’ ascension “an incredible moment.”

“In my wildest dreams, I could imagine Kamala Harris, a woman of color of her stature, as president. But the rest of the country wasn’t quite there for most of my professional work,” Allison said. “And now I’m surrounded by thousands of people here in Chicago and millions at home that now see that women of color are so critical to the future of this country. It’s like the joy and the spirit and the heart that we’ve been waiting for.”

KQED’s Scott Shafer contributed to this report.