‘We will not be holding a virtual convention,’ RNC chairwoman says

The Republican National Committee (RNC) will not hold a virtual convention amid the coronavirus pandemic, chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel said Monday.

“It’s quite a ways away, and there’s ample time for us to adjust, if necessary,” McDaniel told The Associated Press. 

In response to a question regarding the possible hacking of the Minnesota Republican Party’s online convention, McDaniel told the newswire “we will not be holding a virtual convention.” 

The Minnesota Republican party said Saturday it was “forced to halt” its scheduled convention “due to potentially malicious interference with the servers used for our voting technology.” 

The RNC is scheduled to hold its convention in Charlotte, N.C., from Aug. 24-27. 

McDaniel told the AP the party will need to consult with the Charlotte mayor and North Carolina governor on logistics. 

In April McDaniel said the GOP was “full steam ahead” with a planned full-scale convention, renouncing an NBC report at the time that alterations were being considered. 

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced last month it would be moving its convention, scheduled to be held in Milwaukee, to August from its initial July date. 

Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention, told The Hill on Monday that the DNC will adjust its plan as experts learn more about the impact the coronavirus is having.

“America has changed because of coronavirus, and we need to change with it, but I’m confident we’ll be able to deliver a successful convention in Milwaukee this summer,” he added.

Most Democratic delegates said they don’t want to attend a full-scale convention amid the crisis, according to a New York Times report published Monday. 

Of the 59 delegates interviewed by the newspaper in the last week, just nine said they are planning to attend the convention. 

Democratic officials responsible for the convention have outlined three contingency plans for the convention. Plans include potentially holding the full convention if health conditions permit, holding a mostly virtual convention with a limited in-person presence as well as possibly hosting an entirely remote convention, the Times reported.