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Democratic National Convention postponed until August due to coronavirus pandemic

Posted at 11:02 AM, Apr 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-02 23:36:13-04

MILWAUKEE -- The 2020 Democratic National Convention has officially been postponed until August due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) announced Thursday.

The convention was originally scheduled for July 13-17. It will now be held the week of August 17.

“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," said Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee. "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."

A news release from the DNCC says that they have confirmed that Fiserv Forum, the Wisconsin Center District, and hotels in the surrounding area will all still be available in August.

"Leadership means being able to adapt, and that's exactly what our party is doing. The city of Milwaukee has been an incredible partner, especially over the past few weeks as we've confronted this global crisis, and we couldn't be more committed to highlighting Wisconsin as a key battleground state, as it is at the center of so many of Trump's broken promises," said DNC Chair Tom Perez.

The move came following recent calls from major political players, including Democratic frontrunner for president Joe Biden, to postpone the convention.

As recently as Wednesday, Biden said he thought the convention would be postponed in an interview with late-night comedian Jimmy Fallon. Biden noted in a separate interview Tuesday that Democrats “have more time” to figure things out.

Republicans are expressing confidence they can pull off their convention as scheduled in late August. But party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel still allows for the possibility the pandemic could upend GOP plans.

Check back often for updates on this developing story.

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