Multiple media outlets reported today that former Vice President and U.S. Senator from Delaware Joe Biden has picked Philadelphia as the location for his campaign headquarters.
The news was not unexpected in Delaware, given previous moves by Biden, who had established relationships with the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia as well as the University of Delaware, Newark.
The family ran a foundation out of Washington, D.C. Operations of the foundation are now being phased out to avoid questions over the purposes of donations or expenditures.
A Philadelphia location also gives the campaign a home in a major urban center and Democratic party stronghold. Philadelphia is also the home of media and entertainment giant Comcast and its MSNBC network, a favorite outlet for Democrats.
Winning Pennsylvania is key to any hope of Biden winning a 2020 victory over President Trump. Biden is off to a strong start in a field of nearly two dozen Democratic candidates for president, but still has to face challenges that include his age and a 40-year voting record that many on the left find troubling.
Biden has always touted his ties to Pennsylvania. He moved to Delaware with his family from the Scranton area, now a stronghold for Trump.
A Delaware headquarters would have been a point of pride for the state. But the solidly blue state accounts for only three electoral votes.
Despite strong support for Trump in the state’s two southern counties, New Castle County has become more solidly Democratic, with Republicans no longer holding any statewide offices.
Biden has not walked away from Delaware. He has a home in the “Chateau Country” west of Wilmington and purchased a home in Rehoboth Beach.
