San Jose Councilmember Ash Kalra was in Charlotte, N.C., last week as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention. The following is a recap of his final day at the Convention, President Obama’s speech and some overall themes from the week-long event.—Editor

Waking up Thursday morning, it was hard to believe that we still had the main event of the Democratic National Convention ahead of us. The previous three days had been exhilarating and empowering but also exhausting. The long days of meeting different community and political leaders from around the country made me feel good about the Democratic Party. The bulk of the members in attendance at the convention were not wealthy contributors or high-level officials but rather ordinary Americans who want to serve and love the energy and political atmosphere that surround a national convention. I met retirees, students, veterans, community activists, and public servants from all walks of life.

San Jose Councilmember Ash Kalra has been in Charlotte, N.C., all week as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention. The following is a recap of his first three days at the Convention. President Obama will deliver his DNC speech tonight, and Kalra has agreed to write an additional column for San Jose Inside on Friday.—Editor

My journey to Charlotte began at Mineta San Jose International Airport on Sunday morning. During my tenure on the City Council I have found it difficult to leave the city for extended periods of time. In fact, this week in Charlotte will be my longest time away from San Jose during my entire time in office. Thankfully, there was no council meeting this week due to the short week following Labor Day. And since residents are rightfully concerned about how taxpayer dollars are spent, you should know that I’m personally paying for this trip—I am not using any city funds or special interest contributions.

UPDATE: It turns out San Jose Councilmember Pete Constant did attend the Republican National Convention. Check back for more details.

San Jose City Councilmember Ash Kalra is in Charlotte, North Carolina this week to attend the Democratic National Convention. He is one of almost 6,000 party-nominated delegates. While he is attending the week-long rally, Kalra will be keeping touch with San Jose Inside. At the end of the week, the councilmember will give us a recap of the events, who he interacted with and his impressions of where the party is headed into the November election.

Happy Labor Day, San Jose Inside readers. We’ll return tomorrow to fill you in this week with updates on some shenanigans at the county level, an in-depth interview with City Manager Debra Figone and a dispatch from the Democratic National Convention.—Editor.