In a moment that seemed unimaginable just two months ago, Vice President Kamala Harris will accept her party’s nomination for president this week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The convention kicks off Monday at the United Center, home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, and concludes with Harris’ speech Thursday night. 

Harris replaced President Joe Biden atop the ticket following Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Republican nominee Donald Trump in June and subsequent pressure from fellow Democrats to leave the race.

Adding to the oddity of the convention, delegates have already formally nominated Harris and her vice presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. A virtual roll-call vote was held earlier this month to meet Ohio’s ballot deadline.

“Our convention is an opportunity to bring the story of our party to the American people — not just the story of what we’ve achieved under the Biden-Harris administration, but how the Harris-Walz ticket is planning to build on that historic record for a new way forward into the future,” convention Chair Minyon Moore said in a statement Sunday. “The story here is simple and it’s one that will resonate with Americans across the country: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for the American people and America’s future — Donald Trump is only fighting for himself.”

Harris’ entry into the race has been met with a wave of enthusiasm from Democrats, promising poll numbers and hundreds of millions of dollars in donations.

Only a presidential candidate for four weeks, Harris enters the convention in the unusual situation of still needing to articulate much of her vision for her presidency to the country.

“She'll use the convention, as any would, to harness the momentum I think that they have right now,” said Tim Hogan, a Democratic political strategist who worked on presidential campaigns for Hillary Clinton and Amy Klobuchar. “And the energy that's out there is really clear. … Now it's about taking the stage and taking the opportunity to tell the story of not just the Democratic Party, but the Harris-Walz ticket and where they want to take the country.”

Each night will have a theme. On Monday, Democrats will try to make their case that their party is fighting for the interests of the American people while accusing Trump of looking out for himself. On Tuesday, the party will focus on what it calls it “bold vision for America’s future.” Wednesday’s theme will be “A Fight for Our Freedoms.” And Thursday will center on how a Harris-Walz administration would “lead America into a brighter, more hopeful era.”

The convention committee has not yet released a full schedule of speakers, but several have been confirmed. Biden will address the convention Monday night. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Jason Carter, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, also will reportedly speak. Walz will address the convention Wednesday night.

Other confirmed speakers are first lady Jill Biden, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Joe Biden’s speech is expected to represent a passing of the torch from the 81-year-old president to his 59-year-old VP.

It might also be a humbling moment for the president, who up until recently believed he would be the main event at the convention.

It could prove to be a legacy-defining moment for Joe Biden, Hogan said. 

“I think you are going to see an overwhelming amount of emotion in that crowd,” Hogan said. “You're going to see an overwhelming amount of appreciation for him during that speech because he made an incredibly difficult decision, and I think everyone in the Democratic Party has nothing but goodwill for him.”

Jacob Smith, an assistant professor of political science at Fordham University, said the speeches by Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Jason Carter show the convention will “emphasize unity in the Democratic Party” at a time when Trump’s own former vice president, Mike Pence, has refused to endorse him.

Hogan said he expects Harris to speak about protecting the country’s democratic foundations and freedoms. 

“That is freedom for women to make their own health care decisions, to talk about reproductive rights, freedom to read the books you want to read, not have Republicans be in either your exam rooms or in your curriculum telling you what you can and cannot do,” he said.

Smith predicted the vice president will touch on raising the minimum wage and preserving the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans have long sought to repeal. 

“And I think also sort of broad themes like democracy, like moving forward and having an America that's more inclusive, where everyone can succeed and take advantage of the American dream,” Smith said.

He added that Harris is unlikely to speak at length about issues in which Democrats do not poll well — such as immigration — but that she cannot run away from those topics, either.

Hogan said Harris will likely attack Trump to draw contrasts between her vision and his policies, but he added she might not call him out by name.

Harris’ speech is an opportunity for her to win over undecided voters. Smith said people who are disaffected by politics or remain undecided for other reasons may be looking more at personality factors of the candidates than any particular issues. 

Typically, the running mate plays the role of “attack dog” in a convention speech, meaning Walz’s is likely to be more negative than Harris’, Smith said, adding, “Although Tim Walz definitely has this sort of happy warrior way when he campaigns.”

A variety of protesters, meanwhile, are expected to converge on Chicago. Planned protests include pro-Palestinian marches and pro-Israel demonstrations.

When Chicago hosted the DNC in 1968, protests against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War turned violent.

“We are here to demonstrate that in this moment that we can host the most democratic of activities — the nomination of someone to the highest office of our land — and to provide space and room for the full expression of our First and Fourth Amendment rights,” Chicago Chief Operating Officer John Robertson said at a news conference earlier this week.

Aside from its prime-time showcase, the DNC will host a slate of training sessions, panels and other programming at McCormick Place, which it has dubbed “DemPalooza.”

The Trump campaign announced Friday the former president will counter the opening day of the convention with a 3 p.m. rally Monday in York, Pennsylvania. The campaign plans to hold rallies in battleground states each day of the week, highlighting a different theme at each, Politico reported. Monday’s event will focus on the economy.

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