LYNCHBURG, Va. (WFXR) — Charlottesville resident Khizr Khan was selected to cast the Commonwealth’s delegate votes in Tuesday night’s roll call at the Democratic National Convention, which officially selects Joe Biden as the presidential nominee.

“I am so honored,” said Khan, “so humbled to be able to cast Virginia’s delegate votes tonight.”

You may remember Khan from his speech at the 2016 DNC. His son was killed in 2004 while serving in Iraq, and his speech challenged then-candidate Trump’s fitness for office, referencing Trump’s attacks on immigrants and Muslims.

“Have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy,” Khan said in his 2016 speech.

Khan still carries a copy of the Constitution with him. As an immigrant who worked hard for his citizenship, Khan places great value on the First Amendment.

“In my childhood, I have lived under dictatorship,” said Khan, who is originally from Pakistan. “I have lived under authoritarians. This is the first thing they do, media is [the] enemy of the people. Free press has no room in their rule of law, in their authoritarian regime, because they expose the corruption.”

Khan relates the loss of his son to Biden, who himself lost two children and his first wife.

“Losing a family member creates a hole in the heart, which never fills.”

Khan says after his 2016 speech, then Vice President Biden invited his family to his home.

“He placed his hand on my shoulder and my wife Ghazala’s shoulder and said, ‘Folks, you’re my family.'”

Khan says it was comforting.

Khan tells WFXR News that he wants his comments during the roll call to be uplifting and to make Charlottesville proud.

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