Alexander Hudlin ’26 spoke to millions of viewers at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Aug. 21. Hudlin is Vice President Kamala Harris’ godson, and referred to her as his “auntie” multiple times during his minute-and-a-half speech last Wednesday. Alongside Harris’ nephew and niece, Jasper and Arden Emhoff, Hudlin spoke about the Vice President’s strong family values.

The DNC featured a different theme for each night of the convention, which lasted Aug. 19-22. Monday was named “For the People,” and Tuesday was “A Bold Vision for America’s Future.” Hudlin, Jasper and Arden spoke before the convention on Wednesday night, which was themed “A Fight for our Freedoms.” In addition to Harris’ nephew, niece and Hudlin, former President Bill Clinton and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi spoke that night. The last night of the convention was themed “For our Future,” where Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted the Democratic presidential nomination and the vice presidential nomination, respectively.

Hudlin said in his speech that he recognized the importance of Harris’ political career at an early age when he recalled her appointment to the US Senate for California in 2016.

“She’ll lift us up,” Hudlin said to the crowd. “In 2016, when we celebrated Auntie’s Senate win, we saw Trump winning [president]. I was only nine, but I knew enough to be concerned. Auntie said, ‘Do you know what superheroes do? They fight back. And we will too.’”

Hudlin concluded his speech by calling Harris “a baller,” a remark that caught the attention of news outlets and social media.

In an interview with The Chronicle, Hudlin said he felt supported by those around him when he spoke at the convention.

“It meant the world,” Hudlin said. “I just felt blessed being in this position. I have a great base of friends around me. It was really an incredible experience for me, and I’m so proud of [Harris] and just so proud of how far she’s gone. I’m pumped for November, and I’m really excited about the election.”

Harris has significantly increased her support base over President Joe Biden after dropped out of the running, according to US Presidential Polls. Harris’ improvement over Biden is in part by reason of increased support among young voters. Hudlin said he is optimistic about young people getting involved in politics.

“I would hope that they’re excited for the future,” Hudlin said. “Young people are really excited for [Harris] to be president. The future is now, and it was such an honor to be so young and to represent our generation, Gen Z.”

Hudlin said he wants his peers to cast a thoughtful vote in November.

“I’m encouraging everyone to vote to think about the future and just try to make the right choice,” Hudlin said. “This is a very important election, and a lot of our classmates can contribute to it and make an good impact. Every vote matters.”

History teacher Peter Sheehy (Will ’22, Tate ’24) said Hudlin’s opportunity to speak was personally inspiring and reflective of the important role of youth in political issues.

“That’s just a life-altering opportunity,” Sheehy said. ” Hopefully, that’s inspiring for his career. The role of youth [in politics] is [when] the kids in the school shooting in Florida [were] very outspoken about gun control. You saw Amanda Gorman giving the poetry. Young people are such an important voice on so many issues, and the older generation loves hearing from the younger generation.”

Trump’s family is involved with the politics of the Republican National Committee, according to the Washington Post. His five children, who were present throughout the Republican National Convention (RNC), are politicians in their own respect. Their recent prominence at the convention deepens their involvement in the Trump Campaign. Sara Segil ’25, who attended the 2024 Iowa Republican presidential caucuses on a school trip, said Harris’ decision to bring her family on stage added humanity to her campaign.

“The younger generation has been struggling to be represented and just go out and vote,” Segil said. “Having not only a younger candidate on the DNC stage but having even more youth representation really shows how the tides have started to turn. [Harris’] younger family is in contrast with Trump’s, especially since Trump has made families so important in the RNC, with his family members being at the head of it. Having family play such a different role in the DNC is really interesting because her family is represented. Instead of being professional, they’re really a testament to her character.”

This story was originally published on The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle on September 9, 2024.