Former Vice President Joe Biden has chosen Philadelphia to be the location of the headquarters for his 2020 presidential campaign, his team announced on Thursday.
Campaign manager Greg Schultz said in a statement, "We're proud to anchor our campaign in the birthplace of American democracy."
MORE: When and where to see Joe Biden’s first 2020 campaign rally in Philadelphia
Both Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, are originally from the Keystone State. Biden was born and raised in Scranton before moving to Wilmington, Delaware. He represented Delaware for 36 years in the Senate before becoming vice president to President Barack Obama.
Biden and his team announced on April 25 that he was entering the race for Democratic nomination for president, at the time making him the 20th Democrat to do so. The field of candidates has continued to expand since, adding a 23rd on Thursday morning when New York Mayor Bill de Blasio joined.
On Wednesday, Reuters reported that the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Biden has expanded his lead over the party's other candidates by 5 percentage points.
This decision comes two days before Biden's first campaign rally in Philadelphia on Saturday, May 18. Biden and his family will speak at Eakins Oval on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway beginning around 1 p.m. that Saturday, and the event opens at 11 a.m., according to an event listing on Biden’s website.
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