Archived News

Kamala Harris to visit Asheville after COVID cancellation

Kamala Harris to visit Asheville after COVID cancellation

Less than a week after cancelling travel to Asheville and Charlotte, Democratic vice presidential nominee and California Sen. Kamala Harris is ready to try again.

On Thursday, Oct. 15, Harris had been slated to arrive in Asheville around 10:30 a.m. for an event at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. While awaiting her arrival at the Asheville Regional Airport, reporters were notified by Biden for President staff just before 9 a.m. that the appearance had been cancelled.

No reason was immediately given, but a press release issued by the campaign shortly after the cancellation revealed the reason for the unexpected change.

"Late on the night of Wednesday, October 14th, we learned that two individuals involved in the campaign tested positive for COVID-19: a non-staff flight crew member and Liz Allen, communications director to Senator Harris,” said Jen O'Malley Dillon, Biden’s campaign manager in the release. “Senator Harris was not in close contact, as defined by the CDC, with either of these individuals during the two days prior to their positive tests; as such, there is no requirement for quarantine. Regardless, out of an abundance of caution and in line with our campaign’s commitment to the highest levels of precaution, we are canceling Senator Harris’s travel through Sunday, October 18th, but she will keep a robust and aggressive schedule of virtual campaign activities to reach voters all across the country during this time. She will return to in-person campaigning on Monday, October 19th. This is the sort of conduct we have continuously modeled in this campaign.”

Details surrounding Harris’ Oct. 21 visit to North Carolina, where presidential polls have remained neck-and-neck, haven’t yet been released although Charlotte is also included in the plan, as it had originally been for her cancelled visit.

Look for more information on Sen. Harris’ visit as it becomes available.

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.