The Utah delegates to the Democratic National Convention had a wild ride. They left Chicago energized, excited and enlivened.
Over and over, from the convention’s massive stage, Democrats described their nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, as a historic figure, the embodiment of hope, “the president of joy.”
It was a vibe first-time conventiongoer Steve Merrill, a candidate for House District 71, felt on the floor.
“There's excitement and joy, and you can be excited and joyful about your candidate, and then when you get into the policies, there's nothing wrong with them, so you're not picking it apart,” he enthused. “So you get to have joy that we haven't felt in years.”
Even amongst the extraordinary optimism, the speeches and music, former First Lady Michelle Obama offered the gathered crowd a sober warning: “No matter how good we feel tonight or tomorrow or the next day, this is going to be an uphill battle.”
That word of caution was quickly drowned out by the excitement that overwhelmed the standing-room-only 17,000-person Chicago arena. A stark reality exists though as activists, operatives and party leaders head home: The real test for Harris has only just begun.
Utah Democrats hope to carry the convention’s message as they try to convince their neighbors to ditch former President Donald Trump and support Harris. It’s an effort they’re embracing, despite the state’s conservative reputation. Catherine Voutaz, like others in the party, feels there’s a change to be had.
“I think a lot of the values of the Democratic Party really do align with many of my neighbors,” the candidate for state auditor told KUER at the convention. “They align with what I believe are these social contracts between what we have between other people, and I think a lot of the values, like helping other people, being there for other people, really are Utah values.”
For Alejandro Puy, the Salt Lake City councilor for District 2, it’s the energy and positive messaging that has him ready to engage with his neighbors, “to try to bring them to understand that this is the party that is fighting for [the] middle class.”
“We are a very diverse party from multiple backgrounds, from all religions, many of us are very religious here, right? You know, you are talking to the Utah delegation, right? Many of us are LDS, so we're talking about a very diverse party that is looking forward, that is actually trying to understand and value the diversity of ideas and thoughts.”
Polling shows voters have consistently felt Republicans are better on the economy — a perception that Democrats are trying to fix. They argue that Harris can do more for the middle class and entrepreneurs as the party tries to reframe social issues as economic ones.
Harris, for example, wants to provide $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers and a $6,000 tax break for new parents and an expanded child tax credit.
Throughout the convention week, campaign advisers cast her agenda as a continuation and expansion of President Joe Biden’s first-term achievements, particularly on economic matters, even if it may look and sound different in some cases.
An approach that aspires to be more pragmatic and centrist on economic issues might resonate — especially with family-focused Utahns. Victoria Petro, the Salt Lake City council member for District 1, feels it’s the way to go.
“Regardless of what anyone's religious or faith-based affiliation is, my neighborhood is blue collar, and we are feeling the pinch economically. So I think anything that acknowledges those hardships and gives valuable paths towards sustainability — financially, environmentally, all of the above — my neighbors are going to be responsive.”
Read more from NPR: 5 takeaways from Kamala Harris’ historic acceptance speech
Freelancer Matt Laslo, KUER’s Jim Hill and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
