Home U.S Here’s the Speaker Lineup for the Opening Night of the Democratic Convention

Here’s the Speaker Lineup for the Opening Night of the Democratic Convention

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Here’s the Speaker Lineup for the Opening Night of the Democratic Convention

Democrats have cemented the lineup of speakers for the first night of their convention in Chicago, one that blends nostalgic tributes to President Biden with blunt messaging about the threat of a second Donald J. Trump presidency.

In the early evening, the session will be called to order by Jaime Harrison, the Democratic National Committee chairman, and the convention committee chair, Minyon Moore.

Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago will then deliver welcoming remarks before the delegates hold a ceremonial vote confirming Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as the party’s vice-presidential nominee. Vice President Kamala Harris named Mr. Walz as her running mate almost two weeks ago.

The program, which will run from 6:15 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. Eastern time, will be headlined by Mr. Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, along with Hillary Clinton, the party’s presidential nominee in 2016 who lost to Mr. Trump.

Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, who played a pivotal role in reviving Mr. Biden’s candidacy in 2020, will also fill one of the prime-time slots.

The choice of speakers seemingly reflects the party’s changing of the guard. It includes key progressive voices like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and influential union leaders like Shawn Fain, the president of the United Automobile Workers.

Three women with harrowing pregnancy stories will step into the spotlight, with Democrats seeking to frame the election as a crucial moment in the fight for abortion rights.

Mallory McMorrow, a state senator from Michigan who received acclaim in 2022 for her response to right-wing efforts to smear her as grooming and sexualizing children, will deliver remarks about Project 2025. The right-wing blueprint for remaking the federal government, one that Mr. Trump has tried to distance himself from, has become a political cudgel for Democrats.

The actor Tony Goldwyn will serve as the convention’s host on Monday night, followed on the subsequent nights by Ana Navarro, a Republican panelist on “The View,” and the actresses Mindy Kaling and Kerry Washington.

Notable names, in the order in which they are scheduled to speak, include:

  • Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota

  • Lee Saunders, the president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

  • Senator Laphonza Butler of California

  • Gina M. Raimondo, the commerce secretary

  • Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York

  • Steve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors

  • Shawn Fain, president of the United Automobile Workers union

  • Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York

  • Hillary Clinton

  • Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland

  • Representative Grace Meng of New York

  • Amanda Zurawski, the plaintiff in a patient-led legal challenge to state abortion restrictions in Texas

  • Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky

  • Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia

  • Senator Chris Coons of Delaware

  • Dr. Jill Biden

  • Ashley Biden, the president’s daughter

  • President Biden

Lisa Lerer, Nicholas Nehamas and Tim Balk contributed reporting.

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