Sen. Raphael Warnock lit up the stage at the Democratic National Convention, but he said the party must keep the momentum going to elect Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It’s going to be a tough race in the nation, and it’s going to be a very tough race in Georgia,” said Warnock, who joined “Politically Georgia” on Friday. “But I really do believe that we can win Georgia. I think I’ve proven that. (Sen.) Jon Ossoff has proven it.”
Warnock spoke the first night of the convention in Chicago, focusing on the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, voting rights and the Israel-Hamas war.
“I need the poor children of Israel and the poor children of Gaza, I need Israelis and Palestinians — those in the Congo, those in Haiti, those in Ukraine,” said the pastor on Monday. " I need Americans on both sides of the track to be OK because we are all God’s children.”
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
Later on in the week, protesters at the convention expressed disappointment that Palestinian Americans were not granted a speaking slot.
State Rep. Ruwa Romman, the only Palestinian American in the Georgia General Assembly, worked during the convention with the Uncommitted Movement, delegates who withheld their support for Harris during Tuesday’s roll call vote because they oppose the U.S. position on the Israel-Hamas war.
“I really do not understand how a Republican from my state has space in our party, but somebody like me doesn’t,” Romman said, referring to former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan’s speech Wednesday at the convention. “And I want to be clear: This is not about me specifically being on that stage.”
Warnock said he thinks that “over the next 73 days, you will hear Palestinian voices and Jewish voices.”
“(That’s) the kind of recommitment that the nominee herself expressed last night, that we will protect Israel, defend its right to defend itself,” he said. “And at the same time, push forward toward a two-state solution where Palestinian people and Israeli people can live side by side.”
The senator maintains that the party can open a big tent for all heading toward November. He also added that Democrats can win the Peach State, but he advised them to campaign in more than just metro Atlanta.
“We’ve got to go through all those rural counties in Georgia, the places where people are too quick to write off,” the Savannah native said.
Warnock’s colleagues in Congress were ready to get to work after Harris delivered her address Thursday night in Chicago and accepted the party’s nomination.
“I feel like a little child full of excitement, full of wonder for our future,” said U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath of Marietta, who participated in a prime-time presentation earlier Thursday with advocates working to end gun violence.
Longtime U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop of Albany was ready to get started. Speaking from the convention floor, he said “Harris laid out a vision for America that everybody can embrace, and we are going to embrace it.”
Adding to the excitement was U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, the chair of the Georgia Democratic Party.
“Kamala Harris is the president we need leading us to the future,” Williams said. “And I can’t wait to get back to do the work to make that happen.”
Monday on “Politically Georgia”: Cody Hall, a Republican strategist and former top aide to Gov. Brian Kemp, talks about the governor and former President Donald Trump trying to halt their feud. Then Quentin Fulks, a high-level official in the Harris campaign, talks about how Democrats can maintain momentum after their convention.
