Michelle Obama, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and former Gov. John Kasich (R) are among a handful of influential speakers slated to headline the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) virtual convention.
The Democratic National Convention, scheduled to run August 17-20, will feature several high profile speakers on Monday, including Joe Biden’s former primary challengers Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), as well as Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), former Gov. John Kasich (R-OH), Reps. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Gwen Moore (D-WI), and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Tuesday’s speaker schedule includes former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, former Secretary of State John Kerry (D), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jill Biden, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and former President Bill Clinton.
Ocasio-Cortez and Masto are just two of the party’s featured Latino speakers, which will also include Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), who is scheduled to speak Wednesday:
.@morning_joe gets a first look at the headlining speakers for next week’s Democratic National Convention.https://t.co/yGYcgsV6sY
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 11, 2020
Julie Chávez Rodriguez, a senior adviser to the Biden campaign, told CNN that Latinos are “an integral part of the fabric of this nation, which is why we are making significant efforts to ensure Latino voices and experiences are highlighted throughout the Democratic National Convention.”
She added:
Latino voters are critical to our path to victory, and as we continue to make our case for Vice President Biden, we will keep investing in reaching out to Latino voters and uplifting individual stories to showcase the diversity and experiences of Latinos throughout the country.
The Democrat’s convention, themed “Uniting America,” will be mostly virtual. There will be no physical appearance from Biden, whose campaign announced earlier this month that he will not travel to Milwaukee and accept the nomination in person due to coronavirus concerns.
More influential Democrats will speak on Wednesday, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI), former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ), and former President Barack Obama.
Biden and his family will speak on Thursday, as will Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D), and Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).
Biden’s running mate is expected to speak on Wednesday. If the schedule serves as any hint, that would effectively take Whitmer, Warren, and Harris out of the running, as they already have speaker slots. Notably, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) and former national security advisor Susan Rice are not featured on the current lineup, but the schedule remains in flux.
The convention is slated to feature just two hours of primetime per day, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern.
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