Watch: Former Wisconson Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes says DNC is ‘beginning of hope’

Despite the pomp and circumstance of the Democratic National Convention, where thousands are gathered at the United Center in Chicago, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and her vice presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are still stumping for votes. The Democratic ticket traveled to Milwaukee, a city in the battleground state of Wisconsin, to deliver remarks at a campaign rally.

Mandela Barnes, Wisconsin’s former lieutenant governor, told theGrio that if Harris is elected as the 47th president of the United States on Nov. 5, “it is the beginning of hope.” Barnes said the moment could spark conversations in political circles about what kind of candidates the party should be “investing” in up and down the ballot.

TheGrio caught up with Barnes during the first night of the DNC, which focused on a “new generation of leadership” where President Joe Biden tearfully and yet enthusiastically endorsed Harris. The 46th president of the United States described his decision to select Harris as his vice president as the “best decision” of his political career.

Barnes, 37, admits that, nearly two months ago, before Biden decided to end his reelection campaign, American voters were “frustrated” with Biden’s debate performance against Trump. What’s more, he said they were “wanting to know what the next generation of leadership would look like.”

If Harris and Walz are elected, Barnes believes the first order of business will be to address the political “divide” that is currently splintering the nation.

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