2020 Presidential Campaign Blog

DNC on Democrats Uniting Around Vice President Joe Biden

DNC on Democrats Uniting Around Vice President Joe Biden

DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement on the recent endorsements of President Barack Obama, Senator Bernie Sanders, and other leading Democrats who are coming together to support our presumptive nominee for president, Joe Biden:

“When I was elected DNC Chair in February of 2017, I said our unity would be our greatest strength and Donald Trump’s worst nightmare. That’s truer today than it’s ever been, and that’s why I’m proud that President Barack Obama, Senator Bernie Sanders, our party leadership, and voters across the country are coming together to support Joe Biden.

“This is the most important election of our lifetime because Donald Trump is the most dangerous president of our lifetime. He has failed every test of presidential leadership, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his incompetence has cost people their jobs, their businesses, and even their lives. We need to defeat Donald Trump. And that means we can’t afford to have anyone stay on the sidelines. We need everyone in this fight, working together to put Democratic leadership back in the White House and in seats down the ballot in every corner of the country.

“The American people know Democrats have their back on the issues that matter most – from protecting health care and reproductive rights, to combating climate change and reducing gun violence, to lifting up our economy and leading us through this time of crisis. They want a president with empathy and compassion. They want a president with character and experience. They want a president with a bold vision for the future and a record of fighting for everyone – no matter who they are, where they come from, who they love, or how they pray. The American people want Joe Biden.”

DNC Statement on the Presumptive Democratic Nominee

DNC Statement on the Presumptive Democratic Nominee

DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement on Senator Bernie Sanders suspending his campaign and Vice President Joe Biden becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee:

“This primary has been one of the most inclusive and transparent in our party’s history. It has showcased the best of our party, and I’m so inspired by all of our candidates. All of them brought integrity to this contest. All of them brought talent, drive, and enthusiasm. And most importantly, all of them showed an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of the American people. I want to congratulate Vice President Biden and his team on their victory, and I also want to congratulate Senator Sanders and his team on theirs. His energy, ideas, and leadership have strengthened our Democratic Party, and we need Sen. Sanders and his team to continue leading in this fight.

“Now it’s time to come together and unite around our presumptive nominee. It’s time to finish the job and send Joe Biden to the White House. For more than half a century, Joe Biden has fought for the underdog – from lifting up workers and middle-class families, to protecting survivors of domestic abuse through the landmark Violence Against Women Act, to leading the fight against the NRA and the gun lobby in the United States Senate. And as labor secretary under President Barack Obama, I got to see Vice President Biden’s invaluable leadership firsthand as he helped to lift our economy out of a recession, rescue the auto industry from collapse, and expand health care coverage for millions of Americans, including those with preexisting conditions.

“Joe Biden is Donald Trump’s worst nightmare. And you don’t have to take my word for it. Even Trump’s own advisors have admitted Trump is terrified of running against Vice President Biden. The choice for the American people could not be clearer: Donald Trump is a man of chaos and cruelty; Joe Biden is a man of character and compassion. Donald Trump has failed every test of presidential leadership and broken just about every promise he’s made, including during this public health crisis; Joe Biden has a decades-long record of delivering results for the American people.

“Now more than ever, we need a change in leadership to get our country on the right track. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the utter incompetence, inexperience, and ineffectiveness of Donald Trump. His failure to prepare for this crisis and to listen to health experts has cost people their jobs, their savings, and even their lives. In times of crisis, we need a president with the experience and empathy to lead the way forward. We need Joe Biden.

“The American people know the Democratic Party has their back. They know Democrats are the only party fighting to protect their health care, their jobs, their homes, and their future. They know Democrats are the only party fighting to end gun violence, combat climate change, and protect reproductive rights. They know Democrats are the only party who will give them a fair shake – no matter what they look like, where they come from, who they love, or how they pray. That’s why they’re ready to elect Joe Biden as the next president of the United States.”

Democratic National Convention Committee Announces Date Change in Response to Unprecedented Coronavirus Outbreak

Democratic National Convention Committee Announces Date Change in Response to Unprecedented Coronavirus Outbreak

MILWAUKEE, WI—In light of the unprecedented health crisis facing our country, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) announced today that the 2020 Democratic National Convention will now be held the week of August 17 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, providing convention planners more time to determine the most appropriate structure for this historic event.

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

History will be made in Milwaukee when the 2020 Democratic National Convention takes place, not just because Democrats will nominate the next president and vice president of the United States, but because they’ll be doing it in a state that’s never before hosted a political party’s national convention. The Democratic Party believes that this important battleground state is the perfect place to share their vision for a safer, stronger country and lift up the voices of the working families that the party fights for every day.

“The city of Milwaukee welcomed our convention team with open arms over a year ago when our convention planning first kicked off. We remain inspired by the people who live and work here, and we remain committed to hosting this historic moment in their hometown,” Solmonese added.

Ensuring the safety of the convention’s host community and all convention-goers has been—and always will remain—the top priority of the Democratic National Convention Committee. As convention planners continue to monitor the unpredictable and unprecedented public health emergency, they remain in constant communication with the local, state, and federal officials responsible for protecting public health and security, and will continue to follow their guidance.

"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. "Ultimately, the health and safety of our convention attendees and the people of Milwaukee is our top priority. And we will continue to be in contact with local, state, and federal health officials as we monitor this fluid situation. The Democratic Party is ready to defeat Donald Trump, the American people are ready to elect a Democratic president, and I have absolute confidence that our team is ready to deliver a successful convention for our nominee."

As part of their contingency planning efforts, the Democratic National Convention Committee has confirmed that Fiserv Forum, the Wisconsin Center District and hotel accommodations in the surrounding area are available in August. The convention planning team will now use the coming weeks to further explore all options to ensure nominating the next president of the United States is done without unnecessary risk to public health. These options include everything from adjusting the convention’s format to crowd size and schedule.

Contingency planning is an important feature of preparations for every convention. The Democratic National Convention Committee is comprised of seasoned convention and event veterans who have been contingency planning for a variety of scenarios from day one. As they continue to monitor the coronavirus health crisis, and the impact it’s having on the country, they will continue to examine all options for the success of the convention that ensure the safety of any participants and the host city. As the convention’s plans are further finalized, more details will be made publicly available.

Mike Bloomberg 2020 Makes Transfer of $18 Million to Democratic National Committee

MIKE BLOOMBERG 2020 MAKES TRANSFER OF $18 MILLION TO DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

NEW YORK — Today, Mike Bloomberg 2020 announced a transfer of $18 million to the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) Coordinated Campaign to help Democrats win up and down the ballot in November. This is the largest transfer from a presidential campaign in recent history. Additionally, Mike Bloomberg 2020 will also transfer several of its former field offices to state parties and help accelerate the hiring pace for important positions in organizing, data, and operations across key battleground states. The campaign believes this investment will dramatically expand the DNC’s Battleground Build-Up 2020 efforts across battleground states, drawing in part from our own incredibly experienced and talented organizing staff. Staff in the six battleground states notified today will be employed and paid through the first week in April and have full benefits through the end of April.

Below is a memo from the Mike Bloomberg 2020 campaign to Tom Perez, Chair of the Democratic National Committee, outlining next steps.

TO: Tom Perez, Chair of the Democratic National Committee
FROM: Mike Bloomberg 2020 Campaign
DATE: March 20, 2020
RE: Bloomberg Campaign Next Steps

There is no greater threat to our Democracy than the current occupant in the White House, and Mike launched his campaign with the fundamental goal of defeating him and energizing Democratic victories up and down the ballot.
During Mike’s campaign, we made defeating Donald Trump a priority, including organizing early in states that don’t often get Primary attention and through a $275 million media blitz to remind voters of President Trump’s failures and broken promises. We also did not run any negative TV ads against fellow Democratic candidates. Until our campaign kicked off this effort, Trump was the only candidate on either side who was campaigning and holding rallies in the key states that will decide the 2020 election.
As Mike said throughout the campaign, he would support whomever the eventual Democratic nominee is, as well as Democrats in key races that we must elect to help undo the damage President Trump has done in office. While our campaign has ended, Mike’s number one objective this year remains defeating Trump and helping Democrats win in November.
The existential threat posed by Trump has become abundantly clear in his complete mismanagement of the Coronavirus crisis — a crisis that has profound implications for our economy, our public health and our way of life. But we should also not assume that Trump’s incompetence will be enough to make him a one-term President. Trump’s ability to lie and propagate misinformation, particularly using digital tools and other means with swing voters in battleground states, will continue to ensure a close race in November. Every decision we make as Democrats must account for this.
While we considered creating our own independent entity to support the nominee and hold the President accountable, this race is too important to have many competing groups with good intentions but that are not coordinated and united in strategy and execution. The dynamics of the race have also fundamentally changed, and it is critically important that we all do everything we can to support our eventual nominee and scale the Democratic Party’s general election efforts.

We therefore believe the best thing we can all do over the next eight months is to help the group that matters most in this fight: the Democratic National Committee.
That is why Mike Bloomberg 2020 has decided to make a transfer of $18 million to the Democratic National Committee’s organizing efforts and Coordinated Campaign to help Democrats win up and down the ballot this fall. In particular, we hope this investment will dramatically expand the DNC’s Battleground Build-Up 2020 efforts across battleground states, drawing in part from our own incredibly experienced and talented organizing staff.
Mike Bloomberg 2020 will also transfer several of its former field offices to state parties and help accelerate the hiring pace for important positions in organizing, data, and operations across key battleground states.
Mike Bloomberg entered this race to ensure Democrats win — keeping the House blue, flipping the Senate, winning key state and local races, and taking back the White House — and this commitment through November helps do exactly that. By supporting the Democratic Party, we look forward to November and taking on our unified goal of beating Donald Trump.

Democratic National Committee, Democratic Party of Wisconsin File Lawsuit to Expand Access to Voting in Wake of Global Pandemic

Democratic National Committee, Democratic Party of Wisconsin File Lawsuit to Expand Access to Voting in Wake of Global Pandemic

MADISON, WI - Today, the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin are filing a request in the Western District of Wisconsin to expand access to voting in response to the growing coronavirus threat.

The suit seeks the following:

• Extend the electronic and by-mail registration to April 3;

• Suspend the requirement that copies of photo identification accompany absentee ballot requests and copies of proof of residency documents accompany voter registration requests, for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak; and

• Extend the current deadline requiring absentee mail-in ballots to be received by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day to being postmarked by Election Day and received by municipal clerks’ offices within 10 days of the election.

By implementing these measures, the state can ensure that Wisconsinites’ right to vote is not infringed upon during this extraordinary and unprecedented time.

While the coronavirus pandemic poses an escalating public health crisis and there are a growing number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Wisconsin, today remains the electronic and by-mail registration deadline for Wisconsinites to participate in the April 7 elections. In order to control the spread of the coronavirus, schools, libraries, and businesses across the state have closed, Governor Evers banned gatherings of more than 10 people in the state, and public health officials have recommended social distancing and self-isolation to individuals in Wisconsin and across the country. The unintended consequence of these measures is a limit on the ability of Wisconsinites to access the tools necessary to comply with current rules around voter registration and absentee ballot submissions and potentially prevent countless Wisconsinites from successfully voting.

Extending registration deadlines, suspending burdensome voter documentation requirements, and extending the deadline for absentee by-mail ballots that are postmarked on or by Election Day to be received by municipal clerks’ offices within 10 days of the election are all essential to ensuring that the April 7 elections are free, thorough and safe.

Democratic Party Chair Tom Perez issued the following statement:

“These steps are critical to ensuring that all Wisconsinites who wish to participate in the April 7 elections are able to do so. Given the necessary measures taken by Governor Evers and public health officials in Wisconsin to limit the spread of the virus, it’s more important than ever that we expand access to voting, and increasing these necessary measures will help protect both public health and Wisconsinites' right to participate in our democracy.”

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler issued the following statement:

“Nobody should have to choose between exposure to COVID-19 and disenfranchisement. The court should immediately strike down the barriers to full participation in voting by mail. Our democracy depends on our ability to conduct free, safe, and fair elections, no matter what—even during a pandemic.”

DNC Statement on the Remaining Democratic Primary Contests

DNC Statement on the Remaining Democratic Primary Contests

DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement urging the remaining primary states to protect the health of voters, while protecting the right to vote by implementing a variety of other mechanisms like vote by mail:

“As our country deals with the uncertainty of COVID-19, it is critical that states provide clarity and not confusion, which could lead to disenfranchising voters. States can provide easy access to voting while still taking necessary precautions to protect the health and safety of the American people. In order to ensure the voices of voters are heard, the DNC is urging the remaining primary states to use a variety of other critical mechanisms that will make voting easier and safer for voters and election officials alike. The simplest tool is vote by mail, which is already in use in a number of states and should be made available to all registered voters. States using vote by mail should proactively mail ballots to registered voters, where feasible, and should count all ballots as long as they are postmarked by the date of the primary. Additional tools include no-excuse absentee voting, whereby a voter can either drop a ballot off at convenient locations or drop it in the mail. And, where in-person voting can still take place under public health guidelines, states should expand days and hours of early voting to reduce lines.

“What happened in Ohio last night has only bred more chaos and confusion, and the Democratic Party leadership in Ohio is working tirelessly to protect the right to vote. Eligible voters deserve certainty, safety, and accessibility. That's why states that have not yet held primary elections should focus on implementing the aforementioned measures to make it easier and safer for voters to exercise their constitutional right to vote, instead of moving primaries to later in the cycle when timing around the virus remains unpredictable.”

“The DNC will continue to monitor the situation and work with state parties around their delegate selection plans, specifically allowing flexibility around how states elect their delegates to the national convention once those delegates are allocated based on their primary or caucus results. The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy, and we must do everything we can to protect and expand that right instead of bringing our democratic process to a halt.”

DNC Statement on Sunday’s Debate

DNC Statement on Sunday’s Debate

DNC Communications Director Xochitl Hinojosa released the following statement regarding Sunday’s debate:

“Out of an abundance of caution and in order to reduce cross-country travel, all parties have decided that the best path forward is to hold Sunday’s debate at CNN’s studio in Washington, D.C., with no live audience.

“In addition, the DNC, CNN and Univision recently learned that Univision anchor and moderator Jorge Ramos was in proximity with someone who was in direct contact with a person that tested positive for coronavirus. Both Mr. Ramos and the person he was in contact with are in good health and symptom free. Despite being cleared by medical professionals and out of an abundance of caution, Jorge has decided to step aside from participating in the upcoming March 15 democratic debate. Univision’s News Anchor Ilia Calderón will moderate the debate in his place.

“Our number one priority has and will continue to be the safety of our staff, campaigns, and all those involved in the debate.”

DNC Announces Qualification Criteria For Arizona Democratic Presidential Primary Debate

DNC Announces Qualification Criteria For Arizona Democratic Presidential Primary Debate

The DNC today released the qualification criteria for participation in the eleventh Democratic presidential primary debate, which will be hosted by CNN and Univision on March 15. The debate will be held in partnership with CHC BOLD.

To qualify for the Arizona debate stage, candidates must meet a delegate threshold based on the total number of pledged delegates allocated prior to the March 15 debate.

The official threshold rules are below:

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA FOR THE 2020 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY DEBATE IN ARIZONA
To qualify for the March 15, 2020 Democratic presidential primary debate in Arizona (“Arizona Debate”), candidates must meet the “Delegate Threshold” as detailed below.
Delegate Threshold
To meet the Delegate Threshold for the Arizona Debate, candidates must have been allocated at least 20% of the total number of pledged delegates allocated across all of the contests listed below (“Total Delegate Allocation”) by 9 A.M. Eastern Time on March 15, 2020, as calculated and reported by the Associated Press or CNN:

Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Democrats Abroad, Guam, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont and Washington.

Additional Rules

• The Total Delegate Allocation will be calculated by adding together all delegates allocated by the Associated Press or CNN to candidates who are actively campaigning for the nomination, those who have suspended or otherwise discontinued their campaigns, and those allocated as “uncommitted.”

• In the event that the Associated Press or CNN have not allocated a portion of the delegates available in any of the above contests due to the ongoing tabulation of votes, such unallocated delegates will not be counted in the Total Delegate Allocation.

• The number of delegates needed to qualify for the March Debate will be calculated by multiplying the Total Delegate Allocation by 0.20 and rounding the result to the nearest whole number.
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• Each candidate’s delegate percentage will be calculated by dividing the number of pledged delegates allocated to them by the Associated Press or CNN by the Total Delegate Allocation and rounding the result to the nearest whole number.

DNC & CBS Announces Candidates Participating in Tenth Democratic Presidential Primary Debate

DNC & CBS Announces Candidates Participating in Tenth Democratic Presidential Primary Debate 

Today, the DNC and CBS News announced that seven candidates have been invited to participate in the tenth Democratic presidential primary debate. Each candidate was invited based on the qualification criteria agreed to by the DNC and CBS News. The debate will take place tonight in Charleston, South Carolina.

Based on the qualification criteria agreed to by the DNC and CBS News, and announced in February 2020, the following candidates have been invited to participate in the tenth primary debate:

Vice President Joe Biden

Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Sen. Bernie Sanders

Mr. Tom Steyer

Sen. Elizabeth Warren 

DNC Announces Qualification Criteria For South Carolina Democratic Presidential Primary Debate

DNC Announces Qualification Criteria For South Carolina Democratic Presidential Primary Debate

The DNC today released the qualification criteria for participation in the tenth Democratic presidential primary debate, which will be hosted by CBS News on February 25. The debate is co-hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute.

To qualify for the South Carolina debate stage, candidates may qualify either by (1) meeting a delegate threshold, or (2) meeting a polling threshold. Qualifying polls for the debate will include national polling and polling in South Carolina. A candidate’s support in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada will be reflected through the results of those contests. The qualifying window for polls begins on February 4, 2020 and ends at 11:59pm Eastern Time on February 24, 2020.

The official threshold rules are below:

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA FOR THE 2020 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY DEBATE IN SOUTH CAROLINA

To qualify for the February 25, 2020 Democratic presidential primary debate in South Carolina (“South Carolina Debate”), candidates must meet the “Delegate Threshold” or the “Polling Threshold,” as detailed below.

Delegate Threshold

To meet the Delegate Threshold for the South Carolina Debate, candidates must have been allocated at least one pledged delegate to the Democratic National Convention (“National Convention Delegate”) from either:

the state of Iowa, based on the results of the February 3rd, 2020 Iowa caucuses, as calculated and reported by the Iowa Democratic Party; or

the state of New Hampshire, based on the results of the February 11, 2020 primary election, as calculated and reported by the Associated Press; or

the state of Nevada, based on the results of the February 22, 2020 caucuses, as calculated and reported by the Nevada Democratic Party or the Associated Press.

Polling Threshold

To meet the Polling Threshold for the South Carolina Debate, candidates must meet either the “Four-Poll Threshold” or the “Early State Polling Threshold” as described below:

Four-Poll Threshold. Receive 10% or more support in at least four polls (which may be national polls, or single-state polls of South Carolina) meeting the Qualifying Poll Criteria described below. To meet the Four-Poll Threshold, each one of a candidate’s four qualifying polls must be sponsored by different Qualifying Poll Sponsors, or if by the same Qualifying Poll Sponsor, must be in different geographical areas.

Early State Polling Threshold. Receive 12% or more support in two single-state polls in South Carolina that meet the Qualifying Poll Criteria described below. To meet the Early State Polling Threshold, any candidate’s two qualifying polls may be from the same or different Qualifying Poll Sponsors.

For a poll to be counted towards the Four-Poll Threshold or Early State Polling Threshold, it must meet each of the four requirements described below (“Qualifying Poll Criteria”):

Each poll must be sponsored by one of the following 13 entities or pairs of entities (“Qualifying Poll Sponsors”): Associated Press; ABC News/Washington Post; CBS News/YouGov; CNN; Fox News; Monmouth University; National Public Radio; NBC News/Wall Street Journal; NBC News/Marist; New York Times; Quinnipiac University; USA Today/Suffolk University; Winthrop University. For individual entities that are included only in Qualifying Poll Sponsor pairs but are not listed individually, independent polling by such individual entities or polling conducted in new partnerships with such individual entities shall not meet the Qualifying Poll Criteria. The DNC reserves the right to add a South Carolina-specific poll sponsor to this list in the near future.

Each poll must be publicly released between February 4, 2020 and 11:59 P.M. on February 24, 2020.

Each poll’s candidate support question must have been conducted by reading or presenting a list of Democratic presidential primary candidates to respondents. Poll questions using an open-ended or un-aided question to gauge presidential primary support will not count.

Each polling result must be the top-line number listed in the original public release from the approved Qualifying Poll Sponsor, whether or not it is a rounded or weighted number.