CHICAGO – Kamala Devi Harris stepped into the national spotlight Thursday for her stunning presidential bid by reintroducing herself as someone who is "no stranger to unlikely journeys." The vice president, a child of immigrants, becomes the first Black and South Asian woman nominated by a major party. Harris framed the 2024 contest as one where voters fed up with Republican nominee Donald Trump have a chance to do something in November.
"With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past," she said. "A chance to chart a new way forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.
" Harris laid into Trump for much of her address, saying that the former president tried to steal American's votes when he denied losing the 2020 election. "Donald Trump is a very unserious man," she said. "But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are very serious.
" Boosted by an electoral adrenaline rush thanks to President Joe Biden's dramatic exit from the race, much of the 2024 Democratic convention has centered on telling the country who she is while affirming a progressive position on a host of issues. Much of the week has been filled with sweeping statements about how the 59-year-old California Democrat sees the country, such as calling for an "opportunity economy." Just how she plans to execute these ideas remains and GOP critics have called out the Harris ca.