Forsyth County residents were among the North Carolina delegates to cast votes this week on the floor of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
For first-time delegate Angela Levine, who works as an organizer for the activist group Red Wine & Blue, it’s been surreal to see the DNC play out in person.
“People are just super duper excited," she says. "And for those of us who are pretty involved in politics, it's almost like this a who's who celebrity checklist of people you know that we get to hear from. So it's just amazing.”
She says she’s hoping that the excitement will translate to voters.
“The whole convention I think has provided a real opportunity for the public to learn more about Kamala Harris as an individual and her accomplishments, as well as Governor Walz," she says. "I am hopeful that it's going to make people just more enthusiastic about turning out and voting.”
Winston-Salem Mayor Pro Tem D.D. Adams, who has attended conventions since 1992, says it’s clear the party has been reinvigorated by Kamala Harris’ entrance into the race.
“The feeling, the air in the room that everybody keeps talking about – the 'it.' It is there," she says. "I've been there in the room when it's been there, and I know it when I feel it.”
Adams has become known for her themed convention outfits — a photo of her dancing in a red and white striped blazer this week was featured by newspapers across the country. She says she worked with designer Tiffany Flowers to create them.
“I wanted a vibe," she says. "Everybody knows when I come to convention, I got my own style and my own brand.”
More than 100 North Carolina residents served as delegates this year at the DNC.