6 Rising Stars to Watch at the Democratic Convention

In 2004, a young Illinois state senator named Barack Obama gave a rousing address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston, electrifying party leaders and stoking chatter about a future presidential run.

Twelve years later -- and one week after rising GOP stars Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Joni Ernst of Iowa addressed Republicans in Cleveland -- a new crop of Democrats in local, statewide and federal office will take center stage in Philadelphia for the DNC this week.

Here are six Democrats to watch in Philadelphia:

Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-MassachusettsThe 35-year-old grandson of Robert Kennedy is the latest member of the political dynasty to serve in Congress. The two-term Massachusetts Democrat, the son of former Rep. Joe Kennedy II, has largely shunned the national spotlight that comes with working in the family business, sticking to local media interviews and issues like the opioid crisis ravaging New England. While his great-uncle, the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, famously endorsed President Obama over Hillary Clinton in 2008, Kennedy has stumped for Clinton throughout 2016.

He'll speak Monday night to introduce Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who once taught him contracts law at Harvard Law School. (When Warren was on Clinton's shortlist for vice president, Kennedy said he would consider running to replace her.)

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-MinnesotaEllison, one of the leading progressive voices on Capitol Hill, was one of Sen. Bernie Sanders' earliest and most prominent supporters in Washington. The 52-year-old co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus is also one of two Muslim members of Congress, and has emerged as an outspoken critic of Donald Trump's proposed Muslim immigration ban. He's one of several Democrats in a position to lead the movement behind Sanders' presidential bid as it enters its next phase.

Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-IllinoisAn Iraq War veteran who had both legs amputated when her helicopter was shot down in Iraq in 2004, Duckworth is running to oust vulnerable GOP Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois, and become the second female combat veteran elected to the Senate -- after Ernst.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-New JerseyBooker entered the Senate in 2013 with a national political following. As the telegenic mayor of Newark, he was known for his high-profile constituent outreach -- in 2012, he rescued a neighbor from a fire. In Congress, he's been active on criminal justice reform and advocating for gun control -- and was the focus of speculation around President Obama's Supreme Court nomination and Hillary Clinton's vice presidential pick. Booker won't be far from the stage in four years -- and might even be vying for the Democratic nomination in eight.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-TexasAfter his twin brother Julian's 2012 keynote address, the San Antonio-area Democrat will have his turn in the DNC spotlight. While he's often overshadowed by his brother -- the former mayor of San Antonio-turned secretary of Housing and Urban Development was vetted by the Clinton campaign for vice president -- 41-year-old Joaquin is a rising star in his own right on Capitol Hill. After serving on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, he was recently appointed to the exclusive House Intelligence Committee by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Texas Democrats are also pushing either Castro as possible replacements for Debbie Wasserman Schultz as chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Colorado House Democratic Leader Crisanta DuranThe 35-year-old Duran is the first Hispanic woman to serve as a party majority leader in the Colorado legislature, according to the Denver Post. Emily's List, a Democratic group that supports pro-choice female candidates, awarded her its 2016 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award -- named after the former Arizona congresswoman who survived a shooting in her district in 2011. Along with Gov. John Hickenlooper, she's one of two Colorado Democrats speaking in Cleveland.