Five Los Angeles City Council members are headed to Chicago Sunday to attend the Democratic National Convention, two of which will serve in their roles as delegates.
Council members Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Curren Price, Heather Hutt, Monica Rodriguez and Bob Blumenfield will be flying out Sunday, using personal funds for their travel expenses, according to their respective offices. It was not immediately known when the city leaders will return to Los Angeles, though their attendance at the convention, which will run through Thursday, prompted cancellation of next week’s council meetings.
Devyn Bakewell, communications director for Hutt, noted that she is a delegate known as “party leaders and elected officials,” or PLEOs — which are notable local elected and party officials, though not governors or members of the federal government. Blumenfield, a member of the DNC and vice president of the Democratic Municipal Officials, an organization that represents all Democratic local elected officials across the country, will serve as a “superdelegate.”
Delegates are individuals who represent their state or community at their party’s presidential nominating convention, and also approve the party’s platform and adopt rules governing their group. They also choose a presidential candidate to represent the national party in the November general election.
Blumenfield told City News Service that he’s attended the DNC since 1980 in different roles. He recalled attending the convention as a youth journalist and later as a commission staffer, volunteer, and as an elected delegate.
“The Democratic convention has changed a lot over the years — much more radically from the 60s,” Blumenfield told City News Service. “The last time I was in Chicago, the Democratic convention was more of a smoke-filled room where they really were choosing the presidential nominee.”
He explained how the roles of delegates changed over time and the process to elect them has become more “democratized.” Delegates are elected directly by DNC voters to pledge to a particular candidate as opposed to super delegates, which are congressional members and third party leaders that are not pledged to a candidate, according to Blumenfield.
“The convention is still a platform to activate the campaign in the final push toward the general election, to get the party and Democratic activists excited, and the convention itself is technically a meeting of the party,” Blumenfield said.
The councilman highlighted how business gets done during the convention, but what the general public sees are big speeches that have been historic over time, noting Barack Obama’s keynote speech at the 2004 DNC.
Blumenfield said he was excited to be part of the energy at the DNC. He added, “It’s always nice to connect with a lot of folks. I’ll be seeing people from across the country.”
“There’s a lot at stake in this election that affects all of us and especially those of us here in Los Angeles,” he added.
The councilman also expressed his support for Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic nominees.
“How great is it to have someone from California, and someone who has lived in Los Angeles, and close to many of us in the L.A. delegation and understands our issues,” Blumenfield said. “I think that’s going to be a great benefit to Los Angeles.”
Mayor Karen Bass is also expected to fly to Chicago Sunday afternoon, returning to Los Angeles Tuesday, according to her office. Bass is scheduled to speak Monday at the DNC, discussing her relationship with Harris and how the vice president has delivered for Angelenos, youth and families across the nation.
