ATLANTA — Georgia’s delegation is preparing to anoint the Democratic party ticket for president at their national convention next week in Chicago.
The delegation is expected to have more women than men and more Black delegates than white.
When Georgia voters flipped the state in 2020—electing two Democrats to the US Senate and Joe Biden to the White House—voters of color drove the Democrats’ narrow margin past Republicans who’d previously dominated Georgia politics.
When Georgia Democrats meet in Chicago next week, delegates of color will likewise predominate as the party nominates Kamala Harris to face Republican Donald Trump this fall.
"This is the hottest ticket in town. I’ve never seen a convention like this before," said Roger Lau of the Democratic National Committee, who arrived in Chicago earlier this week.
A roster of Georgia’s delegation we’ve seen indicates that women will outnumber men, that Black delegates will outnumber white delegates, and that Black women will have a dominant plurality in the delegation.
The race and gender of the candidate they’ll nominate will make this a historic convention – and Lau says, will fuel an energetic campaign this fall.
"The crowds we’re getting at these rallies are bigger than anything we’ve had all cycle long. I think there’s a great deal of enthusiasm for Democrats to come to Chicago to celebrate, to get this campaign started," Lau said.
When they return home to Georgia, delegates can expect plenty of return visits from both Harris and Trump to the battleground state they helped create four years ago.