Both the Democratic and Republican political parties held conventions recently (Democratic from August 17-20, Republican from the 24-27), each focusing on nominating a candidate for the presidency. As expected, the GOP endorsed Trump while the Democrats chose Biden as their nominee. 

All of the speeches at the Republican National Convention (RNC) supported Donald Trump and his running mate Mike Pence- it is widely accepted that candidates cannot run if they are from the same party as the incumbent. Notable speakers included presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway, former Governor of South Carolina and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and multiple members of the Trump family. 

Democratic National Convention (DNC) speakers endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden were former President Barack Obama, the Clintons and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, as well as former candidates Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders. Most speakers at the convention thought that Biden expressed progressive enough views to satisfy the rest of the party. However, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez used her speech to symbolically nominate Bernie Sanders and push for systemic change through “a movement striving to recognize and repair the wounds of racial injustice, colonization, misogyny and homophobia.”  While some were outraged, it is customary for every candidate that passes a certain threshold of delegates to be nominated as a way to unify a party.  In summary, both the Republican and Democratic parties had distinctive conventions that will set the tone for the rest of Biden and Trump’s campaigns.