Gov. Newsom to speak from floor of Democratic National Convention. A look at more California leaders in attendance

ASHLEY ZAVALA SPOKE WITH SEVERAL POLITICIANS WHO WILL BE THERE. IT WAS EXPECTED THAT CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS WOULD WANT TO GO TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, BUT NOW EVEN MORE SO, TO RALLY AROUND KAMALA HARRIS. IT’S OFFICIAL THAT A LARGE GROUP OF CALIFORNIA POLITICIANS WILL BE THERE IN CHICAGO. DOZENS OF CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS ARE PREPARING FOR THE CONVENTION, INCLUDING GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM AND 21 STATE LAWMAKERS. SOME TOLD US THEY CAN’T WAIT TO SEE KAMALA HARRIS AND TIM WALZ TAKE THE STAGE. WE’RE SO PROUD THAT SHE’S OUR GIRL HERE FROM CALIFORNIA. SO HERE WE GO. THIS WILL BE ASSEMBLY MEMBER CECILIA AGUILAR, CURRY’S FIRST CONVENTION. SHE’LL HELP LEAD THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, MAINLY TRYING TO GET TO MEET AS MANY AS LEGISLATORS THROUGHOUT THE THROUGHOUT THE NATION. AND KNOWING THAT WE’RE ALL GOING TO WORK TOGETHER, CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER. WE’VE DONE THAT REALLY WELL WITH KAMALA AS VICE PRESIDENT. I WILL BE THERE NEXT WEEK. MANY OF THE STATE’S REPRESENTATIVES IN CALIFORNIA’S U.S. SENATOR LAPHONZA BUTLER, HAVE YOU MET GOVERNOR WALZ? I HAVE NOT MET MET GOVERNOR WALZ YET. I KNOW LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PEGGY FLANAGAN, WHO IS AN OUTSTANDING LEADER IN MINNESOTA. AND AND IF SHE’S EXCITED ABOUT WORKING WITH THEM, MY COLLEAGUE SENATOR KLOBUCHAR AND SENATOR TINA SMITH ARE ALSO SPEAK VERY, VERY HIGHLY OF OF GOVERNOR WALZ. BUT I’M EXCITED TO TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET HIM NEXT WEEK IN CHICAGO. SOME SEEKING STATEWIDE OFFICE. ALSO MAKING THE TRIP THAT INCLUDES FORMER STOCKTON MAYOR MICHAEL TUBBS, WHO SAYS HARRIS HAS BEEN ONE OF HIS MENTORS. I THINK THIS CONVENTION IS PARTICULARLY SPECIAL. THIS IS WHY IT’S MY FIRST CONVENTION, BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME I’VE HAD A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NOMINEE. THE VP HAS BEEN A MENTOR SINCE CITY COUNCIL PERSON. SHE WOULD CHECK IN ON ME AND SAY, HEY, ARE YOU DOING THIS? ARE YOU DOING THAT? WHEN SHE WAS ATTORNEY GENERAL AND HAS BEEN SOMEONE WHO’S BEEN CONTINUALLY CHECKED IN AND SUPPORTED AND MY CAREER, EVEN TO THIS DAY. SO I’M REALLY EXCITED. THOSE ATTENDING SAY THEY’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A FRONT ROW SEAT TO HISTORY TO BE ABLE TO BE THERE FOR THIS HISTORIC EVENT. I CAN’T WAIT AND I KNOW I BETTER TAKE SOME TISSUES WITH ME BECAUSE I’M GOING TO BE CRYING. NOW, LEGISLATIVE LEADERS SAY. BUSINESS HERE AT THE STATE CAPITOL WILL BE BUSINESS AS USUAL NEXT WEEK. THEY SAY THAT THOSE LAWMAKERS WHO ARE GOING TO CHICAGO WILL ONLY BE EXCUSED FOR 48 HOURS. REPORTING AT THE STATE CAPITOL, ASHLEY ZAVALA KCRA THREE NEWS. IT’S NOT CLEAR YET IF GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM WILL GIVE A SPEECH

Dozens of Democratic California leaders are heading to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention this week to watch California native Kamala Harris along with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accept the party's nomination for the president and vice president. Gov. Gavin Newsom will be among those traveling to Chicago on Monday afternoon. He is set to speak from the floor on Tuesday while delivering the final delegate votes needed to ceremonially make Harris the Democratic presidential nominee, his campaign spokesman confirmed. Specifics were still being worked out as of Monday morning, but his campaign expects him to speak at some point Tuesday evening. California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is set to speak Monday night at the convention's main stage at 5 p.m. PT. A group of 21 state lawmakers are also heading to the convention. They'll be led by former Senate leader Toni Atkins and the Assembly's Democratic Majority Leader, Cecilia Aguiar Curry. "We're so proud she's our girl here from California," Aguiar-Curry told reporters on Thursday. This will be Aguiar-Curry's first convention. "To be able to be there for this historic event, I can't wait, and I know I better take some tissues with me because I know I'm going to be crying."California's U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler will also be there. The convention will also serve as an opportunity for California's elected officials to get to know Harris' VP pick, Walz. At an event in Lake Tahoe last week, Butler said she had not yet met him. "I know Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan who is an outstanding leader and if she's excited, and my colleagues Senators Klobuchar and Tina Smith also speak very, very highly of him," Butler said. "I'm excited to get an opportunity to meet him next week in Chicago."Others heading to the convention include State Controller Malia Cohen and former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, who is also running for California lieutenant governor in 2026. Tubbs told KCRA 3 this would be his first convention. "I think this convention is particularly special not just because it's my first convention but it's the first time I've had a personal relationship with the nominee," Tubbs said. "The VP has been a mentor since I've been a city councilman. She would check in on and me and say 'hey are you doing this and doing that' as attorney general.""She has been someone who has continually checked in and supported my career even to this day so I'm really excited," Tubbs said. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Gov. Gavin Newsom will be among those traveling to Chicago on Monday afternoon. He is set to speak from the floor on Tuesday while delivering the final delegate votes needed to ceremonially make Harris the Democratic presidential nominee, his campaign spokesman confirmed. Specifics were still being worked out as of Monday morning, but his campaign expects him to speak at some point Tuesday evening.

California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is set to speak Monday night at the convention's main stage at 5 p.m. PT.

Gov. Newsom and Lt. Gov Kounalakis are in Chicago.

That means @ilike_mike is acting Governor of California.

His statement: pic.twitter.com/iTJRXzLJFN
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) August 19, 2024

A group of 21 state lawmakers are also heading to the convention. They'll be led by former Senate leader Toni Atkins and the Assembly's Democratic Majority Leader, Cecilia Aguiar Curry.

"We're so proud she's our girl here from California," Aguiar-Curry told reporters on Thursday. This will be Aguiar-Curry's first convention. "To be able to be there for this historic event, I can't wait, and I know I better take some tissues with me because I know I'm going to be crying."

California's U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler will also be there. The convention will also serve as an opportunity for California's elected officials to get to know Harris' VP pick, Walz.

At an event in Lake Tahoe last week, Butler said she had not yet met him.

"I know [Minnesota's] Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan who is an outstanding leader and if she's excited, and my colleagues Senators [Amy] Klobuchar and Tina Smith also speak very, very highly of him," Butler said. "I'm excited to get an opportunity to meet him next week in Chicago."

Others heading to the convention include State Controller Malia Cohen and former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, who is also running for California lieutenant governor in 2026.

Tubbs told KCRA 3 this would be his first convention.

"I think this convention is particularly special not just because it's my first convention but it's the first time I've had a personal relationship with the nominee," Tubbs said. "The VP has been a mentor since I've been a city councilman. She would check in on and me and say 'hey are you doing this and doing that' as attorney general."

"She has been someone who has continually checked in and supported my career even to this day so I'm really excited," Tubbs said.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter

Gov. Newsom to speak from floor of Democratic National Convention. A look at more California leaders in attendance

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