Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, from right, Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Gwen Walz and her husband Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrive on a campaign bus at Pittsburgh International Airport, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Pittsburgh. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Julia Nikhinson

CHICAGO - Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to honour the legacy of Joe Biden before the president figuratively passed the baton of party leadership to his vice-president.

“Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do,” Harris said about Biden to roars of cheers from supporters.

Biden's speech rang more celebratory than bittersweet, capping off the Monday night event.

Just over a month ago it was all but certain he would be on stage to accept the nomination. Biden stepped aside in July amid concerns about his age and ability to win.

Pausing numerous times to cheers of "Thank you Joe," the president gave an energized speech about bringing back jobs, supporting unions and strengthening environmental policies.

Biden critiqued the Democrat's presidential rival, Donald Trump, as a liar and danger for the future of America. But the president closed out his comments by fulsomely supporting his vice-president and quoting one of his favourite songs saying "America, America I gave my best to you."

"I am more optimistic about the future than I was when I was elected as a 29-year-old United States senator. I meant it," Biden said.

"Folks, we just have to remember who we are. We are the United States of America and there's nothing we cannot do when we do it together."

The four-day convention's theme is "For the People, For Our Future" and observers say it is a key moment for Democrats to unify the party and build on the excitement behind the Harris campaign.

Attendee Aphrodite McCarthy, who's from Mississippi, said Biden has been a good president but it was hard to build momentum around his campaign because there were serious concerns over whether he could win.

"We were all very worried," said McCarthy, dressed in a Wonder Woman outfit.

"It just felt like we needed more energy."

When Harris was confirmed as the candidate, McCarthy said, "it was like daylight again."

It's been only a few weeks since Biden removed himself from the presidential race due to mounting criticism over his age and mental acuity. Those concerns were cemented by a disastrous debate with his Republican opponent, former president Donald Trump.

Democrats quickly rallied behind the vice-president and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Kelly Jacobs has been to five other Democratic conventions and has become well-known for wearing creative outfits that feature the candidates. Draped in a full-length Harris and Taylor Swift dress, Jacobs jumped up and down when asked about the changing atmosphere among Democrats since Harris topped the ticket.

"Everything is different. People are excited," Jacobs said.

Many speakers touched on Biden's time as president and lifetime of service, but Harris was the star of the show.

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the last woman to run for president on the Democratic ticket, who lost to Trump in 2016, told the crowd that millions of Americans sent a message: they wanted a future with no "ceilings on our dreams."

"The future is here," Clinton said.

Experts have said it is unlikely speeches during the convention will go into much detail on a potential Harris administration's approach to foreign policy. Monday night gave few hints of a direction.

Observers have said they expect Harris to follow the path forged by Biden when it comes the country's relationship with Canada.

Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S., as well as Liberal MP John McKay, co-chair of the Canada-U.S. interparliamentary group, are attending the convention. Hillman also attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month.

Hillman has been working with other members of Ottawa's Team Canada and provincial politicians to reach out to their American counterparts on both sides of the aisle ahead of the November election.

Polls have slightly shifted in Democrat's favour in important battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Harris is now in a virtual tie with Trump in the presidential race, according to a Pew Research Center survey released last week. Among her supporters, 62 per cent said they back her strongly. A month ago, only 43 per cent felt the same way about Biden.

"It has been remarkable the degree to which this change has been effective," said Marc Trussler, the director of data science for the University of Pennsylvania's program on opinion research and election studies and a Canadian.

It will be essential for Harris to continue to find ways to keep the broad coalition of Democratic voters happy by focusing on what they have in common: a desire for reproductive freedom and a dislike of Trump, said Trussler.

There are many things that could divide the party and discourage voters from heading to the polls in November. Most volatile among them is the war in Gaza.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told the convention that one reason she is supporting Harris is because the vice-president “is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing hostages home.”

The comment came after thousands of activists converged outside the convention Monday calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Protester Louisa Joy said she feels the U.S.'s support for Israel makes it complicit in the war and she wanted to challenge all leaders to do better.

"It doesn't matter who does the genocide, it's still genocide."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2024.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2024