Former Vice President Joe Biden will make his first visit to Ohio as a presidential candidate, headlining a dinner Saturday in Columbus.
Mr. Biden, one of 23 Democrats seeking the 2020 nomination, is the guest speaker at the Human Rights Campaign’s 2019 Columbus Dinner at Ohio State University, the group announced Tuesday.
His appearance in Columbus marks Mr. Biden’s first trip to Ohio after campaigning for Democrats on the 2018 statewide ticket. Mr. Biden was also in the area for the funeral of Michigan Rep. John Dingell.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was the last high-profile Democratic candidate to visit Ohio. Mr. Biden is leading in polls nine months before the nation’s first nominating contest in Iowa.
The Human Rights Campaign is the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization.
“Vice President Joe Biden is a strong and visible ally to the LGBTQ community in our fight for full federal equality,” HRC President Chad Griffin said in a news release. “His bold declaration supporting marriage equality helped change hearts and minds throughout America, and his work during the past two years as a leader of the Biden Foundation to advance LGBTQ rights at home and abroad is critical — particularly at a moment when the equality and dignity of this community are under attack across the globe.”
First Published May 28, 2019, 8:57 p.m.
