Democratic Party delays US presidential convention until August over coronavirus crisis

The US Democratic Party has postponed its presidential nominating convention by a month until August, citing the coronavirus health crisis. The delay is the latest sign the coronavirus pandemic is having a profound impact on the presidential race and will continue to do so for months to come, Reuters said.

Democrats will use the convention in Milwaukee to formally pick their nominee to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in the November election. It had previously been scheduled for July.

“In our current climate of uncertainty, we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds,” Joe Solmonese, chief executive of the Democratic National Convention Committee, said on Thursday.

With much of the country under stay-at-home orders from local and state authorities, presidential campaigning has largely moved online. Many states have delayed votes for party nomination contests.