Democratic National Convention speakers from Milwaukee include a teacher and a retiree

Mary Spicuzza
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee.

A teacher and a retiree with chronic health conditions will be among the Democratic National Convention speakers from Milwaukee.

Luz Chaparro Hernandez, a mother, elementary school teacher and union member, and Julie Buckholt, a mother and retired educator, will both speak during the now-virtual convention, which will be held Aug. 17-20.

The Milwaukee women, two of the convention speakers Democrats announced Monday, are expected to share their families' stories as they talk about their support for former Vice President Joe Biden. 

"Joe Biden is the leader we need as our country navigates this treacherous moment," Buckholt said in a statement, which was released by the Biden campaign. "We are in the middle of a global crisis, and we need empathetic, strong leadership to get us through and heal."

Buckholt has a chronic disease that she said costs $15,000 per week to treat, and has two daughters with the same condition.

"Without the Affordable Care Act, I don’t know what my family would do because we certainly couldn’t afford the medication for my chronic illness," she said. "Our livelihood is quite literally on the line in this election — it’s not about politics, this is real for us and for so many folks across Wisconsin."

She added that Biden will improve the Affordable Care Act, while President Donald Trump "is obsessed with repealing" it.

Luz Chaparro Hernandez, who teaches in a bilingual program for second and third graders, said Biden is the leader the country needs to unite and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As an educator, mother, and union member, I know how important this election is. I have seen how the coronavirus pandemic has changed our classrooms and our lives, and I keep telling myself: It just didn't have to be this bad," she said in a statement. "President Trump has failed in responding to the virus at every turn, and now my fellow educators and I and our students are paying the price for his horrible leadership."

She also stressed the importance of this year's election.

"We have the opportunity to elect a leader with empathy and a vision for the United States that will unite us, not divide us. Joe Biden will lead us to an equitable recovery through this pandemic by bringing us together and listening to facts and science," she said. "He has the character and experience to build a country that works for all Wisconsinites, from Milwaukee to La Crosse and everywhere in between."

It's not yet clear how many speakers will participate in the DNC from Milwaukee. Organizers announced last week that Biden won't be traveling to Milwaukee to give his acceptance speech.

Contact Mary Spicuzza at (414) 224-2324 or mary.spicuzza@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MSpicuzzaMJS.