A group of progressive-wing Democrats including a handful from Illinois are scheduled to gather for a conference in Chicago just ahead of the Democratic National Convention next week, organizers said.
The Progressive Democrats of America is organizing the Sunday and Monday conference, which is not intended to be a counter to the DNC but rather a “yes-and event,” Alan Minsky, the group’s executive director, said on Wednesday. The group has endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is headlining the event, according to a news release from Progressive Democrats of America. The organization said other attendees will include U.S. Reps. Danny Davis, Jesús “Chuy” García and Delia Ramirez of Illinois, according to the release.
None of the Illinois attendees the Progressive Democrats of America said would be at the conference could immediately be reached for comment.
The progressive gathering will take place at the Chicago Teachers Union Hall, and CTU President Stacy Davis Gates is a featured speaker, according the Progressive Democrats. The venue is about a 15 minute walk from the United Center on the Near West Side, where Democrats will rally for the prime time events of the four-day DNC.
While CTU’s role is primarily in providing the space for the event, Minsky said PDA feels it is “very much aligned” with CTU’s progressive politics.
The conference is anticipated to be the largest gathering of progressive elected officials ever during a DNC, Minsky said, with a dozen U.S. House members and two U.S. senators expected to be in attendance.
Progressives have long sought to consolidate power and steer the Democratic Party to the left, a dynamic that came to the fore with Sanders’ formidable primary challenge to Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.
In addition to the speakers already announced, “we are extending invitations to Gov. Pritzker, Mayor (Brandon) Johnson and the most prominent Democrats in the entire country to participate in our closing plenary,” Minsky said.
While backing the Democratic candidate, elements of ongoing disagreement between different wings of the party could still surface during the progressive conference, Minsky said.
“Will there be dissenting voices? There might be a few. There are still people within the progressive movement who may choose to say something strong about their position in contrast to the Democratic Party’s but that will be a very small subset,” Minsky said.
