Abrams, Lamb among ‘rising stars’ at convention
Seventeen Democratic “rising stars,” including 2018 Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, will give a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s theme at the convention, which is being held virtually this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, is “leadership matters” and will “weave together powerful and diverse voices from the next generation of party leaders in a unified pledge to step up and lead in this critical moment for the nation,” according to a Democratic National Committee statement.
Instead of the usual one keynote speaker, this year’s address will feature 17 of the party’s “rising stars,” who will “offer a diversity of different ideas and perspectives on how to move America forward,” the DNC said.
Among them is Abrams, the first Black woman to be a major party’s gubernatorial nominee.
Reps. Conor Lamb and Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania and Colin Allred of Texas were also set to speak Tuesday. Lamb, a Democrat in a district President Donald Trump won in 2016, endorsed Biden in January.
Allred, another congressman to flip a Republican district in 2018 and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, also endorsed Biden in January, the 10th caucus member to do so.
Several early supporters of Biden are also a part of the 17 keynote speakers, including state Sens. Raumesh Akbari of Tennessee, Yvanna Cancela of Nevada, Marlon Kimpson of South Carolina and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.
“The convention keynote has always been the bellwether for the future of our party and our nation,” said Joe Solmones, CEO of the 2020 Democratic convention. “And when Americans tune in they’ll find the smart, steady leadership we need to meet this critical moment.”