The cost of being a delegate at the DNC in Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS)—More than 4,000 delegates are in Chicago to represent their states and local communities. They travel from near and far to get to Chicago, and many pay for the trip on their own dime. There were two common themes in the funding formula.
One was excitement about being a part of history, and two was a plea to help them make it here in the first place.
From nightly pomp and circumstance to morning meet and greets, Marpheen Chann from Maine couldn't pass up the chance to represent others like him on a national stage.
"So I'm Asian American, and I'm part of the LGBTQ community which, as a delegate from Maine, not everyone thinks of Maine as diverse," Chann said.
He learned he'd be able to rub elbows with fellow Democrats in May, but the Democratic Party doesn't pay for this party.
Chann and several other delegates had to turn to the public for help getting to the Democratic National Convention.
For me, I go big or go home. So I went for $5,000," Chann said, adding that his hotel bill alone is projected to be more than $2,000.
"I did the red-eye flight because it was a little more affordable."
Steph Newton-Azorr from Oregon said donated dollars helped her cough up the $500 needed for flights.
"I've been working on some thank you cards," she said, adding that the costs of mailing back some swag to donors, airport parking, and luggage add up.
"My budget was $3,750. That's what I put in there for my GoFundMe. And you know, I have two kids. The cost of childcare. It just really would've cut into a lot of our emergency savings," she said.
DNC-provided shuttle buses provide some transportation relief for delegates, and sometimes, food is free.
Chann said he was a little nervous, only halfway to his DNC fundraising goal in mid-July.
"But once Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in and President Biden endorsed Kalama Harris, then it was just like jet fuel," Chann said.
Both delegates said that if they have any extra money left over from their Chicago trips, they'll donate it.
