As Kamala Harris wraps up DNC, her team focuses solely on Pa.

CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted her party’s nomination for president, telling the crowd at the United Center that she will be a president for all Americans and fight for their best interests, just as she did for years as a prosecutor.

““Throughout my career I have had only one client – ​​people,” she said.

“And so, on behalf of the people; on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender, or what language your grandmother speaks; on behalf of my mother and anyone who has ever embarked on their own unlikely journey …I accept your nomination for President of the United States of America.”

It was a triumphant end to a week that built on Democratic momentum and aimed to introduce and celebrate Harris as the party’s historic nominee with less than three months left in a bitter presidential race.

Now that the balloons have deflated, here are our takeaways from the week in Chicago and what it could mean for Harris in November in crucial Pennsylvania.

Democrats are well aware that Pennsylvania is key

The blue carpet was rolled out for the Commonwealth.

The Pennsylvania delegation was directly in front of the stage, to the right of Harris’ home state of California. For context, solidly Democratic New Jersey was crammed into the back corner of the arena, almost on a football field.

The rush of photographers around the Pennsylvania delegates was so intense that security had to repeatedly shoo people away. Before Gov. Josh Shapiro spoke Wednesday, the delegation’s vice chairwoman, Peggy Grove, shouted at photographers blocking her view to “get down!”

Though it was a tight fit, the placement underscored the state’s importance to Harris this fall. And at the Palmer Hotel in downtown, the delegation’s breakfast drew massive political names and a few surprise VIPs, including Harris’ vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and his wife, Gwen.

The breakfast speeches were variations on the same theme: Pennsylvania decides the election.

“How Pennsylvania plays out will determine and determine whether we win the White House again,” DNC Chairman Jamie Harrison said. “The eyes of the world are watching what happens in Pennsylvania over the next few months, so I hope you’re all ready.”

Harris campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez told the delegation that Pennsylvania is the Harris team’s “largest operation,” with 36 field offices and more than 300 field workers.

By the end of the week, Shapiro admitted he felt a personal responsibility to carry out the state’s — and the office of the president’s — plans.

Shapiro didn’t stop running

Speaking of Shapiro, the popular Pennsylvania governor attended the Democratic convention, touting the Harris-Walz party and promoting his own administration’s performance.

Shapiro has visited more delegation bed-and-breakfasts than any other Democrat we’ve seen here (though he canceled his Thursday appearances the morning after his prime-time speech the night before).

He was also the subject of repeated attacks from former President Donald Trump, who hours after his speech called Shapiro the “overrated Jewish governor of Pennsylvania.”

Shapiro told reporters Thursday morning that Trump seemed “fascinated by him” and that the former president “systematically spread anti-Semitic stereotypes.”

It’s unclear what Shapiro’s political path will be, but there’s no doubt this week has further elevated his profile after he lost the vice presidential election to Walz.

And his appearances before delegations from New Hampshire and South Carolina — two states with early primaries — suggest he could be the candidate the next time the Democratic presidential nomination is on the line.

Democrats hope joy can expand their reach

Our ears are still ringing a little from the high-pitched screams that pierced through the United Center on Wednesday as Oprah Winfrey leaned forward and cried, “Let us choose joy!”

From DJ Cassidy and the glowing bracelets that turned a nomination roll call into a party, to the number of times the word has been used joy mentioned in speeches (at least 35 on Wednesday evening), it is clear that Democrats are counting on positive sentiment to attract people to the campaign.

Former President Bill Clinton called Harris the “president of joy.” Walz said Harris has consistently served “with energy, passion and joy.”

And as Harris took the stage, she told the packed crowd, “Now it’s our turn to do what generations before us have done, with optimism and faith, to fight for the country we love.”

She tried to create a contrast with Trump, who she said “was devaluing America by saying how terrible everything is. Well, my mother had another lesson she taught: Never let anyone tell you who you are. Show them who you are. America, let us show each other and the world who we are and what we stand for.”

When President Joe Biden was nominated, the party’s appeal often centered on the fear of another Trump presidency. That message was also on the scene, but Democrats now need to appeal to two emotions to motivate voters.

With Harris at the top of the ticket, her party is focusing on history and diversity

As the first Black and Asian American woman nominated, Harris had the potential to make history and win the admiration of delegates, some of whom broke through their own glass ceilings, while also inspiring those searching for a modern leader for their party.

In her acceptance speech, Harris referenced the story of her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, a biomedical researcher who emigrated from India to the United States with the goal of curing breast cancer.

In their pre-convention speech, Democrats made promoting the country’s diversity a central focus.

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson received a standing ovation. Actress Mindy Kaling spoke about making dosas with Harris and celebrating their shared Native American heritage. Sen. Alex Padilla (D., Calif.) delivered part of his speech in Spanish.

And Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the first LGBTQ person elected statewide, raised her hand and said that opponents of same-sex marriage “can rip this wedding ring out of my cold, dead, gay hand,” borrowing a phrase conservatives have long used to argue about gun laws.

On the final night of the convention, women gathered around the United Center dressed in white in honor of the suffrage movement.

“I’m thinking about the future and what it means to be here in person, experiencing the excitement of being nominated and potentially voting for the first female president,” said Philadelphia City Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada, who wore an ivory suit and silver pumps. “Me, a North Philly girl, sitting six rows back.”

Division over Gaza still looms over party

Despite the party’s importance, Democrats continue to struggle with intra-party divisions over the issue of U.S. military support for Israel in the war in Gaza.

This was not the Chicago convention of 1968. The protests the party had been preparing for were peaceful, and the convention went off largely without incident.

At the United Center, this was deliberate: the DNC had decided not to provide a speaking venue for a representative of the undecided delegates who hoped to speak out against the war. The proposed speech was to be given by Georgia State Representative Ruwa RommanPalestinian-American and independent delegate.

Instead of speaking at the convention, several dozen undecided delegates staged a sit-in protest outside the United Center on Wednesday. U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, a progressive Democrat representing western Pennsylvania, thanked the pro-Palestinian delegates for “standing their ground.”

“Thank you for continuing to express your grief in the face of people who would basically spit in your face, despite the pain and grief that so many people are experiencing right now,” she said.

Harris received the loudest applause of the evening for recognizing the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.

“The scale of suffering is heartbreaking,” Harris said. “President Biden and I are working to end this war so that Israel is safe, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity.”

While some progressives have criticized the lack of Palestinian representation, the party has made a concerted effort to counter accusations of anti-Semitism against the Republican Party, which have intensified in recent weeks.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer both emphasized their Jewish heritage.

“As the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in American history, I want my grandchildren — and all grandchildren — to never, ever experience discrimination because of who they are,” Schumer said Tuesday night. “But Donald Trump — this is a guy who spreads anti-Semitic stereotypes.”

The convention also featured a speech Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American who was taken hostage by Hamas in the October 7 attack.

The party’s over. How is Harris’ campaign responding to the challenges ahead?

Democrats are leaving the Windy City with some wind in their sails, but they face challenges.

Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested he might end his campaign this week and endorse Trump.

It is unclear how this will affect the tight race in Pennsylvania, where Kennedy received about 5% of the vote, but given that he won the state by about 1 percentage point in the last two elections, any shift in support for Trump could prove problematic for Democrats.

While Harris has significantly improved her party’s position in the race, Chicago remains the favorite in an extremely close election.

Democrats also worry that the past month of nearly limitless and mostly positive media attention on Harris will fade — especially as Harris faces criticism that she does not answer enough reporters’ questions.

Harris is scheduled to debate Trump on September 10 in Philadelphia, a moment the former president hopes will reverse the negative sentiment among Democrats at the United Center this week.