Vice President Kamala Harris will not attend the Archdiocese of New York’s Al Smith Dinner, a major election year event that every first time presidential candidate has attended since Democratic hopeful Walter Mondale decided to forego it in 1984, the New York Post reported Saturday (September 21) night.
The event, which is in its 79th iteration, will be held on October 17 and be attended by Harris’ Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump. Harris, 59, will instead campaign in key battleground states during the final weeks leading up to election day, her campaign confirmed to the New York Post.
The event has been a tradition, with both presidential candidates giving speeches and roasting each other, since John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon both appeared ahead of the 1960 election. Archdiocese spokesperson Joseph Zwilling confirmed that Harris notified officials about her decision not to attend on Saturday.
“We are disappointed that she will not be with us, as this is an evening of unity and putting aside political differences in support of a good cause of helping women and children in need regardless of race, creed, or background,” Zwilling said. “We hope she reconsiders.”
Trump’s campaign confirmed that he would be in attendance following Harris’ decision, according to Zwilling. The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation raises millions annually to support New York residents in need and regularly features the attendance of presidential candidates during election years.
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