Major Party Conventions Kick Off Election Season

The Republican Party held its National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in July 2024. The Democrats just finished its party convention on August 22, 2024, in Chicago.  At these conventions, former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris were formally nominated to be their party’s candidates for president. Both parties also nominated candidates for vice president and announced the political goals they hope to accomplish.  

What is a National Convention? 

A political party’s national convention is a multi-day event where party members gather to officially pick their candidate for President. Delegates, who are specially selected party members, vote on who should be the party’s nominee for the presidential election.  Conventions are meant to be celebratory events that energize supporters and kick off the final campaign push toward the November presidential election. 

The convention is also where the party talks about its plans and goals. These are written out in an official document called a “party platform.” The platform explains what the party hopes to accomplish if their candidate wins. Each night there are also exciting speeches from important party members. During the final night of the convention, the nominee for president gives a speech of their own. In this speech, they accept the nomination and rally everyone to support them in the upcoming election.  

The 2024 Republican Party National Convention 

The Republican National Convention was held from July 15^th to the 18^th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Donald Trump formally announced his selection for his vice-presidential running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance. Vance was officially nominated by the party and accepted the nomination in a speech Wednesday evening, July 17th. In his speech, Vance shared his life story, highlighting his rise from a tough upbringing in Ohio to becoming a U.S. Marine and later a senator. At 39, Vance is the first Millennial on a major party ticket. 

Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination for president during the final evening of the convention. The former president emphasized national unity and his goals of healing divisions in America life. However, he also expressed disapproval of the current administration’s policies. He reserved special criticism for what he described as the Democrat’s inability to tackle inflation. Trump’s speech was the longest in convention history, lasting about an hour and a half. 

The Republican party platform was updated at this year’s convention for the first time since 2016. The new platform is 16 pages long, much shorter than previous platforms. It changes the party’s stance on some key issues. The Republican platform no longer opposes same-sex marriage and suggests that abortion laws should be decided by individual states. The platform supports deporting undocumented immigrants, closing the border, and putting tariffs on imports. It no longer backs Puerto Rico becoming a state and wants to eliminate the Department of Education. It continues to support Social Security and Medicare programs. 

The 2024 Democratic National Convention 

The Democratic National Convention was held from August 19^th to the 22^nd in Chicago, Illinois. Kamala Harris is the party’s nominee for president, though her nomination did not follow the typical process. President Joe Biden received the most votes to be the Democratic candidate during the primary election season. However, he officially withdrew his candidacy on July 21^st and endorsed Harris as his replacement. After a poor debate performance against Trump on June 25, Democratic Party leaders were increasingly public with concerns that Biden could not defeat Trump in the general election. After several weeks of pressure and consideration, Biden withdrew. 

An incumbent president has not dropped out of a presidential race since President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. The Democratic Party affirmed Biden’s endorsement and officially made Harris their nominee with a virtual nomination vote during the first week of August. 

 Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential running mate. A former social studies teacher, football coach, and veteran, Walz is expected to help Harris appeal to voters in key swing states in the Midwest. In his acceptance speech, Walz offered highlights from his career as a teacher and politician in Minnesota. 

Harris officially accepted her party’s nomination during the last night of the convention. In her acceptance speech she described the election as a chance to heal divisions and create a better future. She pledged to cut taxes for millions of Americans and to restore abortion rights. She also criticized former president Trump’s support for dictators in Russia and China and warned of the dangers should he regain power with no limits. 

The 2024 Democratic party platform includes some shifts from the 2020 platform. It focuses on lowering childcare costs, investing in clean energy, banning assault weapons, and raising taxes for billionaires. Central to the platform are calls to protect abortion rights and expansions to both Social Security and Medicare. 

Dig Deeper Use the Internet to look back on the events and speakers featured at this year’s Republican and Democratic National Party Conventions. Pick one speech, individual, or moment that interests you. Write a one-page summary explaining your chosen topic and why you find it significant.