Biden cancels fundraisers, rally in Chicago days before Illinois primary
March 11, 2020
CHICAGO — Joe Biden’s presidential campaign has canceled events planned for here on Friday, including two high-profile fundraisers and a public rally, in the wake of growing fears about the coronavirus outbreak and just days before Illinois’ March 17 primary.
“The health and safety of the public is our number one priority,” Biden’s campaign said in a statement. “We have been and will continue to consult with relevant officials, including our recently announced Public Health Advisory Committee, regarding steps the campaign should take to minimize health risks for staff and supporters.”
As a result of those conversations and at the request of elected officials in Illinois and Florida (Biden was to visit that state, too, for its primary also March 17), “we will no longer hold large crowd events on Friday and Monday in those states.”
On Thursday, the former vice president will deliver remarks on the coronavirus pandemic, and Friday’s and Monday’s events will become virtual events. Details are pending on what that will mean.
Biden was to have attended back-to-back fundraisers on Friday — a breakfast and an early-afternoon reception — with high-profile donors on the guest lists in Chicago. Former supporters of Pete Buttigieg’s campaign and bundlers for Hillary Clinton’s and Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns were on the host lists. Former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker was also on both invites.
In an email to guests that was provided to POLITICO, organizers said: “In response to COVID-19, the Vice President and his team will be decamping in Philadelphia at headquarters until further notice.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- The president said he would deliver an Oval Office address in primetime on the coronavirus pandemic.
- The nation’s top health officials cautioned that the U.S. will see more coronavirus cases.
- The U.S. Capitol will cease all public tours through the end of March.
- Speaker Nancy Pelosi is set to unveil legislation that provides protections for Americans who may contract coronavirus.
The campaign is planning make-up dates for the fundraisers.
Also on Wednesday, the Biden campaign announced that it was forming a committee to “provide science-based, expert advice regarding steps the campaign should take to minimize health risks for the candidate, staff, and supporters.”
The moves come just days before the Illinois primary next Tuesday, which is expected to see Biden do well among African American and suburban voters.
His rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Bernie Sanders, isn’t likely to come close to doing what he did in 2016 — nearly beating Clinton on her home turf of Illinois — but he has a broad base of support. Over the weekend he held a rally of nearly 15,000 supporters at Grant Park, where Obama held his victory speech in 2008.
Source: https://www.politico.com/
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