The Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee will be postponed until August due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Democratic National Convention Committee announced Thursday that the convention will now be held over four days beginning Aug. 17, instead of its scheduled July 13-16 dates.
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As the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the country, the convention has been postponed in an effort to protect public health, officials said.
“In our current climate of uncertainty, we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention,” Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee, said in a statement. “During this critical time, when the scope and scale of the pandemic and its impact remain unknown, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice of health care professionals and emergency responders.”
“I have always believed that American innovation and ingenuity shine brightest during our darkest days, and for that reason, I’m confident our convention planning team and our partners will find a way to deliver a convention in Milwaukee this summer that places our Democratic nominee on the path to victory in November,” Solmonese added.
The committee says the delay will provide them time to determine an appropriate structure for the event.
This will be Milwaukee’s first time ever hosting the political party’s national convention. Democrats consider Wisconsin an important battleground state in the 2020 presidential election, the announcement said.
News of the postponement comes after Joe Biden predicted the convention would be delayed until August in an interview with ABC late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday.
The Republican National Convention is scheduled to take place in between August 24-27 in Charlotte, North Carolina.