United States Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s historic presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night, declaring that she will be president “for all Americans”.

Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in Chicago on Thursday in front of a rapturous crowd, pledging a “new way forward” if she beats Republican Donald Trump in the November 5 election.

The 59-year-old former California senator said: “On behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth, I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America.

“I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations.”

A sea of waving Stars and Stripes flags and chants of “USA” filled the arena as jubilant Democrats anointed Harris as their standard-bearer.

Harris pledged to be a “president for all Americans” as she reaches out to undecided voters after one of the most stunning upheavals in U.S. political history.

With the November election, Americans have a “fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past – a chance to chart a new way forward”, she promised.

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She laid out her personal story as a child of a single working mother and her career as a prosecutor, saying she has the background and experience to serve the country in contrast to Trump, who she said only works for himself and “his billionaire friends”.

The convention became a giant party to celebrate Harris’s astonishing ascent, according to AFP.

Country act The Chicks sang a version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” while pop star Pink also performed as the Democrats rolled out a list of celebrity backers.

The first Black woman nominee for a major party, Harris has wiped out former president Trump’s lead in some polls, drawn enormous crowds and raised record funds.

Now her challenge is to introduce herself to a country still getting used to the new Democratic candidate.

“I know there are people of various political views watching tonight. And I want you to know: I promise to be a president for all Americans,” Harris said.

President Joe Biden gave a farewell speech on the first day of the convention and said on Thursday he had called Harris to wish her luck.

From Barack and Michelle Obama to Bill Clinton, senior figures have warned all week that Harris has a brutal fight on her hands to beat Trump.

The Star