2020 Presidential Campaign Blog

48 Sheriffs Endorse President Trump in Tampa, Florida

48 Sheriffs Endorse President Trump in Tampa, Florida

On the heels of this morning’s endorsement from the Florida Police Benevolent Association, 48 sheriffs throughout the Sunshine State announced their support for President Trump's re-election at an event with President Donald J. Trump in Tampa, Florida.

"Now like never before, America needs a President who stands strong with our law enforcement officers and who will be unwavering in protecting what I call our three C's: our citizens, our cops, and our Constitution. Donald Trump is that President, and each of us on this stage knows just how important it is to have his continued support from the White House and making sure that America's law enforcement officers have the resources, tools, and backing that it takes to get the job done," said Sheriff Wayne Ivey. "Now more than ever, we need a president that ignores the insanity of those who suggest defunding the police and a president who stands shoulder to shoulder with the brave men and women of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day to protect our citizens, our homes, our businesses, and our way of life. Donald J. Trump is that president."

The following sheriffs endorsed President Trump:

Scotty Rhoden, Baker County
Tommy Ford, Bay County
George Paul "Gordon" Smith, Bradford County
Wayne Ivey, Brevard County
William G. "Bill" Prummell Jr., Charlotte County
Mike Prendergast, Citrus County
Darryl Daniels, Clay County
James F. Potter, De Soto County
Mike Williams, Duval County
Thelbert "David" Morgan, Escambie County
Rick Staly, Flagler County
A.J. Smith, Franklin County
Bobby Schultz, Gilchrist County
David Hardin, Glades County
Mike Harrison, Gulf County
Arnold Lanier, Hardee County
Stephen H. "Steve" Whidden, Hendry County
Al Nienhuis, Hernando County
Paul Blackman, Highlands County
John Tate, Holmes County
Deryl B. Loar, Indian River County
Louis S. "Lou" Roberts III, Jackson County
Alfred Kenneth "Mac" McNeill Jr., Jefferson County
Brian N. Lamb, Lafayette County
Peyton C. Grinnell, Lake County
Carmine Marceno, Lee County
Robert "Bobby" McCallum, Levy County
Eddie Joe White, Liberty County
Benjamin J. Stewart, Madison County
Charles R. Wells, Manatee County
Billy Woods, Marion County
William Snyder, Martin County
Rick Ramsay, Monroe County
Bill Leeper, Nassau County
Larry R. Ashley, Okaloosa County
Noel E. Stephen, Okeechobee County
Chris Nocco, Pasco County
Bob Gualtieri, Pinellas County
Homer "Gator" DeLoach III, Putnam County
Robert Johnson, Santa Rosa County
Tom Knight, Sarasota County
David B. Shoar, St. Johns County
William O. "Bill" Farmer Jr., Sumter County
Wayne Padgett, Taylor County
Brad Whitehead, Union County
Mike Chitwood, Volusia County
Michael A. Adkinson, Jr., Walton County
Kevin Crews, Washington County

Trump Campaign Statement on Florida Police Benevolent Association's Endorsement of President Trump

Trump Campaign Statement on Florida Police Benevolent Association's Endorsement of President Trump

Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. released the following statement in response to the Florida Police Benevolent Association's (PBA) endorsement of President Donald J. Trump’s re-election. Florida PBA is the largest police association in the state of Florida, and their support marks the fourth endorsement of President Trump from law enforcement in the month of July. President Trump will be heading to Florida today to meet with local sheriffs and hold a coronavirus and storm preparedness roundtable.

"Joe Biden and the radical left are using our brave law enforcement officers as punching bags and scapegoats to divide the nation and conceal the truth - you will not be safe in Joe Biden's America," said Bob Paduchik, Trump 2020 Senior Advisor for Law Enforcement and Labor Unions. "The unanimous endorsement from the Florida BPA is proof police officers understand the importance of re-electing this Law and Order President for four more years. President Trump will continue to defend the Thin Blue Line and fight for the safety and security of our communities, and America's law enforcement officers are with him every step of the way."

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti Endorses Joe Biden

Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti Endorses Joe Biden

Today, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, the first woman elected mayor of Scranton and an independent, released the following statement endorsing Joe Biden for President of the United States:

“With Joe Biden in the White House, Scranton will have one of its own in the most powerful position in the world. He took what he learned about hard work growing up in Scranton and has applied it to working hard for our country his entire career.

“I had the honor of serving in the Obama-Biden administration. Joe Biden knows we need more family-sustaining wages, more affordable childcare, and a bridge between education today and the economy of the future. He has first-hand knowledge of our problems and of our opportunities.

“As Mayor of Scranton, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather see in the White House as we forge our future and battle these public health, economic, and social justice crises. Joe Biden always has Scranton’s hard-working families on his mind. That's why I am endorsing Joe Biden for President.”

Mayor Cognetti joins a broad and diverse list of more than 100 prominent leaders from Pennsylvania supporting Biden, including Governor Tom Wolf, Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Conor Lamb, Congressman Matt Cartwright, Congressman Brendan Boyle, Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, Congressman Dwight Evans, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, former Governor Ed Rendell, and others.

Nationally, Biden for President has previously announced more than 3,000 endorsements from national, state, and local leaders, including current and former U.S. senators and representatives, governors, state elected officials, community leaders, and national security professionals.

Scranton Times-Tribune: Cognetti endorses Biden for president
[By Borys Krawczeniuk, 7/31/20]

Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti is endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden for president.

A Democrat-turned-independent, Cognetti said Biden in the White House will mean the city has "one of its own in the most powerful position in the world."

"He took what he learned about hard work growing up in Scranton and has applied it to working hard for our country his entire career," she said in the statement from the Biden campaign.

Cognetti, who served in President Barack Obama's Treasury Department, said Biden "has first-hand knowledge of our problems and of our opportunities."

“As mayor of Scranton, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather see in the White House as we forge our future and battle these public health, economic, and social justice crises. Joe Biden always has Scranton’s hard-working families on his mind," she said.

Democratic National Convention Announces 2020 Convention Officers, Schedule of Events

Democratic National Convention Announces 2020 Convention Officers, Schedule of Events

The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC) today announced the leaders from across the nation who have been asked to serve as permanent officers for the 2020 Democratic National Convention, as well as the initial schedule for the convention’s four nights of programming. Both items have been submitted to the Democratic National Convention Committee Rules Committee, who will ratify these items at their meeting tomorrow.

Convention organizers also released the initial schedule of daytime activities, including virtual caucus and council meetings, where delegates will come together to hear from party and community leaders as they continue to organize and mobilize their constituencies. The schedule can be viewed on the convention’s website at demconvention.com/schedule

“We are looking forward to a historic convention anchored in Milwaukee, and through the leadership of the permanent officers who will help oversee this convention Democrats will come together to continue the work to elect Joe Biden as the next President of the United States,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez. “We have an exciting lineup of programming over the course of four nights as we seek a better future for all Americans, and unite around our shared values and Joe Biden’s vision for a better, safer future for the country.”

The proposed Permanent Officers of the 2020 Democratic National Convention are:

HONORARY CHAIRS—Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA), Minority Leader Charles Schumer (NY)

PERMANENT CONVENTION CHAIR—Congressman Bennie Thompson (MS)

PERMANENT CO-CHAIRS—Governor Phil Murphy (NJ), Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL), Senator Tom Carper (DE), Mayor Tom Barrett (WI), Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (GA), Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA)

SECRETARY—Jason Rae (WI)

VICE CHAIRS—Senator Bob Casey (PA), Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS), Congresswoman Donna Shalala (FL), Former Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH), Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes (WI), Lieutenant Governor Kate Marshall (NV), Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist (MI), Former Congressman Tony Coelho (CA)

PARLIAMENTARIANS—Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD), Helen McFadden (SC), Sarah Merkel (AL), State Senator Yvanna Cancela (NV)

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS—Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI)

The proposed Official Agenda for the 2020 Democratic National Convention is:

MONDAY, AUGUST 17

Opening Ceremonies
Committee Reports (Credentials, Rules and Platform)
Select Speakers

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18

Keynote Address
Presidential Candidate Nominating and Seconding Speeches
Roll Call Vote for the Presidential Nominee

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19

Vice Presidential Candidate Nomination and Acclamation
Acceptance Speech by the Nominee for Vice President

THURSDAY, AUGUST 20

Acceptance Speech by the Nominee for President
Adjournment

Statement from Black Voices for Trump on the Passing of Herman Cain

Statement from Black Voices for Trump on the passing of Herman Cain

“We are deeply saddened to learn of Herman Cain’s passing. Herman was an icon and a personification of the American Dream. In business, in politics, and in service to God, Herman was a leader and an incredible human being. We were honored to consider him part of our Trump campaign family and a key advisor to the Black Voices for Trump coalition. We mourn as one nation today for him, and our deepest prayers and condolences are with his wife Gloria and his children Melanie and Vincent. Herman’s legacy will last for generations. May he Rest in Peace.”

- Katrina Pierson, Trump 2020 senior advisor

Biden for President Expands Paid Media Offensive into Ohio

Biden for President Expands Paid Media Offensive into Ohio
New Ohio Ad Part of Battleground Expansion as Trump Campaign Retreats from Michigan

Campaign Releases New “Made in America” Ad Across Battleground States on Heels of Biden’s “Build Back Better” Agenda
Today, Biden for President announced it is expanding the campaign’s offensive paid media efforts into Ohio, marking the ninth battleground state it will be up on the air with ads — and showcasing Joe Biden’s multiple paths to 270 electoral votes as the Trump campaign pulls back ads in key states like Michigan that he won in 2016. The Ohio ad buy will be seven figures across digital and broadcast platforms and run through the Democratic convention.

On the heels of Biden’s full “Build Back Better” economic recovery rollout, the campaign will begin airing new ads that underscore Biden’s working class values, commitment to fighting for workers and their families, and record helping lead the rescue of the American auto manufacturing industry.

In Ohio, “Backbone” will air in the Youngstown and Toledo markets to highlight Biden’s working class upbringing and demonstrate his commitment to working families — a stark contrast to Donald Trump’s Administration, which prioritizes wealthy donors and the well-connected.

Watch the new Ohio ad "Backbone" HERE.
Additionally, Biden for President is going up with a new ad that encapsulates Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda. “Made in America” touches on the key pillars of Biden’s economic recovery plan, including bolstering our manufacturing while promoting clean energy investments and good paying jobs. This ad is part of the previously announced $14.5 million buy for the week in battleground states, and the campaign will continue making significant investments in its paid media program between now and November.

Watch the battleground state ad "Made in America" HERE.
Biden for President is also continuing to make the positive case for Joe Biden’s leadership and vision with both “Truth” and “Tested” remaining up on the air and online, encouraging Americans to come together to fight the virus and touting Biden’s experience to lead during crises. The campaign is still reaching older Americans and their families who have been hit hard by the pandemic with ads like “Didn’t Matter” and “Dignity.”
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Attorney General Eric Holder and State Senator Patricia Torres Ray to Host Minnesota “Build Back Better” Roundtable on Friday, July 31, 2020

Attorney General Eric Holder and State Senator Patricia Torres Ray to Host Minnesota “Build Back Better” Roundtable

On Friday, July 31, Eric H. Holder, Jr., the 82nd Attorney General of the United States, and Minnesota State Senator Patricia Torres Ray will host a virtual Biden for President Minnesota roundtable on the fourth plank of Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” economic recovery plan. The event will outline how Biden’s plan will address systemic racism and advance racial economic equity in Minnesota and across the country.

Holder and Ray will be joined by the owner of the Gandhi Mahal Restaurant in Minneapolis, Ruhel Islam, NDN Collective Fund Managing Director Nikki Love, and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Deputy Commissioner Hamse Warfa.

FRIDAY, JULY 31
Biden for President “Build Back Better” Roundtable with Eric Holder and Patricia Torres Ray
Start Time: 12:30 PM CT

Event Attendance: Members of the public who wish to attend can RSVP HERE. https://www.mobilize.us/joebiden/event/293621/

Biden for President Announces Key Staff Hires in Georgia

Biden for President Announces Key Staff Hires in Georgia

Today, Biden for President announced key staff hires in Georgia. The hires include Georgia natives and current and former staff from the Obama-Biden, Abrams, and Nunn campaigns, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, as well as various state legislative and ballot initiative campaigns across Georgia.

Tracey Lewis, Georgia State Director
Tracey Lewis is currently the managing director and owner of TL Strategies, LLC, a woman- and black-owned grassroots consulting firm. Most recently Ms. Lewis was a national senior advisor to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign and previously served as Senator Warren’s deputy campaign manager during her first election in 2012. During the 2017-2018 election cycle, Ms. Lewis was the deputy executive director and chief operating officer for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. In 2016, Ms. Lewis served as a senior advisor in Georgia for Hillary for America during the general election and as the Hillary for America primary states director focused on grassroots programs during the presidential primaries. In 2014, Ms. Lewis worked on Michelle Nunn’s U.S. Senate campaign and then served as the Georgia coordinated campaign director for the Democratic Party of Georgia.

Simone Bell, Georgia Senior Advisor
Simone Bell is the president of Simone Bell Consulting, Inc., a small boutique firm dedicated to advising candidates for political office, message development, and facilitation for the non-profit sector. As a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, Simone served from 2009 until 2015. She was a member of the Bi-Partisan Women’s Caucus, Fulton and DeKalb County delegations, Working Families Caucus, and the Legislative Black Caucus. She also had the honor of holding several leadership roles within the Democratic Caucus, including serving as chief deputy whip. In 2018, Simone served as political advisor to the Stacey Abrams for Governor campaign. She was responsible for outreach to elected officials and churches as well as providing leadership to campaign staff across the state.

Tharon Johnson, Georgia Senior Advisor
Tharon Johnson is the founder and CEO of Paramount Consulting Group, LLC, a firm specializing in media relations, government affairs, and electoral strategy. Tharon has worked for and advised elected officials including President Barack Obama, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Congressman John Lewis, Congressman John Barrow, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, and DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond. As the national southern regional director for the 2012 Obama For America campaign, Tharon led the presidential re-election campaign effort for 11 Southern states -- including Florida and North Carolina -- two key battleground states.

Reese McCranie, Georgia Coordinated Deputy State Director
As a seasoned and trusted political operative with 15+ years of experience in campaign leadership, reputation management, fundraising, media relations, crisis management, and public policy creation, Reese McCranie is no stranger to Democratic politics. Some of the campaigns he has worked on include President Barack Obama’s historic 2008 campaign where he served as a media strategist for Georgia and as a fundraiser for his 2012 re-election campaign. In 2017, he served as a political strategist for Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ run-off campaign. Reese McCranie was appointed to serve as the deputy chief equity officer in the Mayor’s Office of One Atlanta in March 2018. In this role, he worked to advance Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ progressive public policy agenda on equity and inclusion, with a focus on health disparities, criminal justice reform, LGBTQ affairs, and economic empowerment and inclusion, as well as workforce development. Additionally, McCranie strategizes with senior leadership on the Mayor’s legislative affairs agenda.

Dominick Perkins, Georgia Political Director
A native of Columbus, Georgia, Dominick Perkins is a longtime aide of Congressman Sanford Bishop, recently serving as the senior advisor to the campaign in 2018. He was the data director for Jim Barksdale's unsuccessful bid to unseat Senator Johnny Isakson in 2016 and has worked on or advised a host of other state and local races in Georgia. Dominick currently serves as the affirmative action chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia and previously served as the political director of the Young Democrats of Georgia.

National Weather Service Employees Organization (NWSEO) Endorses Joe Biden for President

National Weather Service Employees Organization (NWSEO) Endorses Joe Biden for President

Over the weekend, the National Weather Service Employees Organization (NWSEO) endorsed Joe Biden for President of the United States. NWSEO, representing 4,000 employees ranging from meteorologists, technicians to other scientific and support personnel, highlighted Joe Biden’s support of labor movements and Federal employees throughout his career.

NWSEO issued the following press release:
Forecasters’ union gives nod to Biden -
Cites Trump’s proposed cuts to National Weather Service
(Washington, D.C., July 24, 2020) - The union that represents the meteorologists, technicians and other scientific and support personnel at National Weather Service offices nationwide today endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for President in the 2020 election. The union had not made a formal endorsement in the 2016 presidential race.

According to the union’s President, John Werner, the union’s executive board voted to make an endorsement in the 2020 election because of the President Trump’s proposed cuts to the National Weather Service and because of his efforts to curtail
Federal employee collective bargaining rights, and well as Federal employee retirement and other benefits. “In his 2020 budget request, the President proposed to eliminate the jobs of 365 operational employees of the National Weather Service,
all of whom were classified as essential personnel, including 248 front-line forecasters who issue severe weather warnings at the nation’s 122 Weather Forecast Offices,” Werner explained. “In addition, the President proposed to close
forecasts offices at night and on weekends and to close one of the nation’s two tsunami warning centers.”

“Astonishingly, even though these reductions were soundly rejected by Congress last year on a bi-partisan basis, the President reintroduced them in his 2021 budget, which is still pending before Congress,” Werner said.

The union’s endorsement also noted that the former Vice President has supported both the labor movement and Federal employees throughout his career, and that Biden has promised to immediately revoke President Trump’s executive orders that illegally curtail Federal employee collective bargaining rights.

The National Weather Service Employees Organization represents 4,000 employees at the Weather Service, as well as employees elsewhere in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including the civilian crews of the agency’s hurricane hunter aircraft, the men and women who track the nation’s weather satellites, hurricane researchers, and the attorneys who enforce the nation’s fisheries laws.

National unions representing a range of other workers and professions have also endorsed Biden, including AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Pride at Work, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART), the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), Communications Workers of America, (CWA), American Postal Workers Union (APWU), the United Steelworkers Union (USW), Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union (BCTGM), Transportation Trades Department (TTD), International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC), United Farm Workers (UFW), Transport Workers Union (TWU), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P) and the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA), International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), United Auto Workers (UAW), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), National Education Association (NEA), International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), International Association of Bridge, Structural and Ornamental Iron Workers (IW), Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Operative Plasterers’ & Cement Masons’ International Association (OPCMIA), and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), American Train Dispatchers Association (ADTA), National Nurses United (NNU), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).

Trump Campaign Launches "Sammy's" TV Ad

Trump Campaign Launches "Sammy's" TV Ad to Highlight President Trump's Support for the Hispanic Community

Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. announced the launch of a new Spanish-language TV ad, "Sammy's," highlighting President Trump's fight to ensure Hispanic Americans have the opportunity to achieve the American dream. The ad features the owners of Sammy's Mexican Grill, a Hispanic-owned family business in Phoenix, Arizona that has flourished under President Trump's economic leadership. The ad comes as the Trump campaign announces radio advertising addressing the concerns Mexican Americans and other Hispanics have with the growing extremism of the left.

The President met with the small business owners featured in "Sammy's" during a recent trip to Arizona. Just like Goya Foods, their business was viciously slandered by intolerant leftists because of their support for President Trump. However, they stood strong in their convictions and continue to support the President and his pro-business, pro-family policies. Hispanics across America are leaving the Democrat Party in droves as Joe Biden pushes to take educational and economic opportunity away from their communities and undermine the family values at the heart of Hispanic culture. This ad will run in Arizona, where the owners of Sammy's Mexican Grill reside.