CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic Party presents itself to a divided nation this week as a revitalized party, transformed by money, momentum, relief and even joy that has followed Vice President Kamala Harris’ rise to the top of its ticket.
The nationwide outcry over the past month is culminating in a convention that begins Monday in Chicago. Above all, the four-day gathering, which will bring together thousands of activists and party leaders from across the country, is intended to celebrate Harris’s rise as an alternative to President Joe Biden and bolster her campaign to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November.
Read more: What to expect on Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago
But just beneath the surface, real questions loom about the depth of Harris’s newfound support, the breadth of her coalition and the strength of her movement. Less than a month ago, Democrats were deeply divided on foreign policy, political strategy and Biden himself, who held his ground after his disastrous debate by suggesting that he had a better chance than any Democrat — including Harris — of beating Trump.
Far from the formality that many recent party conventions have become, this week’s event will give many Americans their first extended look at Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Democrats’ introduction of Harris and Walz will be crucial, especially as Trump launches a weeklong effort to blunt their message.
Among the potential distractions are thousands of progressive protesters descending on Chicago to denounce the Biden-Harris administration’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Harris’s allies are hoping that the pro-Palestinian protesters won’t overshadow the official program, which features a host of current and former Democratic luminaries.
Read more: Harris has proposed a range of economic policies. Here's a look at what they include
“Democrats are entering the convention energized, energized, and unified,” said one of those stars, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was a finalist for Harris’s vice presidential nomination. “It is vital that we continue to go after Donald Trump and the chaos he could bring — and leave the convention more unified, more energized, and more energized for the final 75 days of this campaign.”
Shapiro said he welcomed protesters during the conference — “provided that the protest is peaceful, and that the protest follows community rules.”
Biden will get his send-off on Monday.
Part of Harris and Walz's introduction will first be to give a graceful exit to the 81-year-old incumbent president, who is scheduled to deliver the keynote address on Monday.
The Democratic Party might have been in much worse shape had Biden continued to cling to the nomination. He has faced growing concerns about his mental and physical strength after struggling to complete sentences in debates.
Read more: Biden's trip to this year's Democratic National Convention: 'When you get knocked down, get up'
By deciding to step aside and endorse Harris, Biden will instead receive a hero's welcome in his final role in the spotlight 52 years after being elected to the Senate from Delaware.
Biden plans to give a lengthy endorsement of Harris and a sharp criticism of Trump before leaving Chicago and freeing the program to focus on the vice president he chose four years ago.
Trump has tried to stoke tensions over Biden’s exit. He called Biden’s speaking period on Monday the “valley of death of conventions,” suggesting that the president would get lower ratings than speakers on other nights. As he has for weeks, Trump called the convention itself “rigged” because Biden, not Harris, won 14 million votes in the primaries and collected delegates state by state.
“She didn't get any votes,” Trump said.
Focus on Harris' First Steps—and an Open Hand for Republicans
The convention will focus on the party's ability to make history. Harris is vying to be the first woman, the first black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to hold the Oval Office.
“I wasn’t sure I would see this moment in my lifetime, to see a Black woman about to become our next president,” said Illinois Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton, one of the highest-ranking Black female elected officials in the country.
WATCH: A look at Kamala Harris' legal and political career
Stratton recalls Hillary Clinton's loss to Trump eight years ago, losing key battles even as she led in the national popular vote.
“I remember in 2016 when we hit the glass ceiling, and the Republican response was to start destroying the rights that got us there,” Stratton said. “This is another opportunity.”
Harris will seek to use the convention to share credit for what she and Biden have accomplished, while also trying to show that she understands voters want more. On her way to Chicago, she unveiled the basic tenets of her policy platform, which focuses on addressing inflation and the costs of food, housing and child care.
Democrats will work to keep abortion access at the forefront of voters' minds, betting that the issue will propel them to success as it has in other key races since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.
Every living Democratic president and first lady will appear this week, except for the ailing Jimmy Carter, along with a long list of federal, state and local officials and activists.
WATCH: A look at this week's Democratic National Convention in Chicago
The event is expected to be a stark contrast to last month's Republican convention in Milwaukee, where former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Mike Pence, among other prominent Republicans, stayed away from the event due to Trump's dislike of them.
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican who investigated Trump's actions around the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection and has endorsed Harris, is expected to speak this week.
The presidential race is still very close.
With just days to go before early voting begins in some places in September, recent polls show a tight race nationally and in swing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Polls show Trump still has an advantage in how Americans view him on core issues like the economy and immigration.
Terry McAuliffe, a former Virginia governor and longtime activist who will attend the 13th Democratic National Convention this week, warned that Democrats' euphoria over Harris' rise could obscure the true state of the campaign.
He noted that the Republican convention in Milwaukee was a real coronation for Trump, as anxiety and uncertainty consumed Democrats. Now, it seems that Trump is the one who is swinging, searching for the right message to stop Harris’s rise.
WATCH LIVE: Trump holds rally in Pennsylvania as Democratic National Convention opens
The lesson, McAuliffe said, is to never assume a campaign is a done deal, and to always remember that the outcome depends on getting 270 electoral votes by winning the right swing states.
The former president won’t be conceding to Democrats this week. He’ll be visiting a different swing state each day — starting with Pennsylvania, then Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada by the end of the week.
The Trump campaign has also sent prominent allies to Chicago to host daily press conferences, including Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida.
WATCH: A Look at the 1968 Democratic Convention and Its Relevance Today
“We have four days of messaging to the country about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. We’re going to look at their agenda, what they stand for, who we are,” McAuliffe said. “It’s going to be a close election. That’s where our country is today.”
No matter what happens this week, both sides will be watching with anticipation as Harris writes a new chapter in what has already been an unprecedented campaign.
Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.
