At least eight Coachella Valley residents are in Charlotte this week as delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

As part of the paper’s coverage, we’ve asked veteran campaigner Greg Rodriguez of Palm Springs to send in regular updates about what he’s experiencing.

Rodriguez, who said there was a “rousing welcome” for California’s delegates this morning at a breakfast that featured House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi as well as Reps. John Lewis, Jared Polis and Donna Edwards.

Edwards and Polis highlighted the state’s “Red to Blue” races — which are targeted congressional districts Democrats think they can snag from Republicans — and Rodriguez said they gave “a shout out” to 36th Congressional candidate Raul Ruiz.

The emergency room physician from Palm Desert is challenging Rep. Mary Bono Mack.

Rodriguez said he also spent time at an event that focused on Latino voter outreach efforts.

The speeches, Rodriguez said by email, highlighted “Romney’s stand on self deportation and the devastation the Romney/Ryan budget plan would do to the Latino community.”

With most of the official business done for the day, Rodriguez plans to spend the evening discussing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights at events sponsored by the Victory Fund and the  National Stonewall Democrats.

As noted in Sunday’s Insider, the local Democratic headquarters provided The Desert Sun with a list of  six Coachella Valley residents who are attending the convention.

They are: Rodriguez, Jennifer Fitzgerald Wilson; Vern and Paula Kozlen; Mary Jane Sanchez; Robert Westwood.

After Sunday’s column ran, we got a note from Jackie Lopez, a district spokeswoman for Assemblyman V. Manuel Perez. She said that she and Perez, a Coachella Democrat, also would be attending the convention.

The Democratic National Convention officially kicks off Tuesday. It wraps with President Obama’s speech on Thursday.