August 19, 2024 Chicago, IL – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo took the stage at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday night, highlighting the stark differences between Democratic and Republican economic policies. Raimondo, the former governor of Rhode Island, and the first woman to hold the position, shared her own family’s story to emphasize the impact of economic policies on middle-class Americans.
Raimondo began her speech by reflecting on her childhood in Rhode Island, where her father found his American dream working in a watch factory. “That job gave him a way to provide for our family, a community for him to belong to, and so much pride,” she said. However, like many American workers in the 1980s, her father’s job was outsourced overseas. Raimondo blamed failed Republican economic strategies, saying, “The Republicans in power who pushed failed economic strategies… let us down.”
Raimondo connected her family’s experience with the broader economic decline in Rhode Island and across the nation. She added, “Manufacturing withered in Rhode Island and all across this nation. In communities all across America, factories shuttered, communities got hollowed out, and people were left without their jobs, without hope, without the dignity that comes with a decent job.”
When Raimondo took office as the first Democratic governor of Rhode Island in decades, she inherited one of the worst economies in the country, but she claimed that through a “pro-business, pro-worker” agenda, her administration turned things around. Raimondo linked her success in Rhode Island to the broader vision of Vice President Kamala Harris, who is seeking the presidency in 2024.
Raimondo said, “Kamala Harris has that same agenda. She knows we need an economy where the costs are low, and opportunities abound.” She praised Harris for understanding the struggles of middle-class Americans, drawing parallels between Harris’s upbringing and her own.
Raimondo highlighted Harris’s commitment to building an economy that rewards hard work and ambition. She emphasized Harris’s plans to provide tax cuts for middle-class Americans, build new homes, and promote fair competition in the economy. Raimondo declared, “Kamala Harris will make building up the middle class a defining goal of her presidency.”
In contrast, Raimondo criticized former President Donald Trump’s economic policies, which she argued had failed in the past and would fail again. She warned, “He wants another huge tax cut for the wealthy… and he wants a sales tax that’s going to supercharge inflation.”
Raimondo concluded her speech with a strong endorsement of Kamala Harris, urging Democrats to rally behind her candidacy. She said, “Kamala Harris works for the people. Kamala Harris works for you. And Donald Trump is in it for himself.” Raimondo called on voters to elect Harris as the next president, promising that she would build an economy where “everyone can find and live the American dream.”
The first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention set the tone for what is sure to be a high-stakes election, with Raimondo’s speech serving as a powerful reminder of the party’s commitment to middle-class Americans.
