Wisconsin Governor Delays Tuesday Primary: Campaign Update

(Bloomberg) -- Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers suspended in-person voting just hours before the state’s primary was scheduled to begin, though the order could be subject to a court challenge.

Although 15 states and Puerto Rico have already postponed their primaries amid the coronavirus pandemic, Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled legislature has rejected requests by Evers, a Democrat, to delay the state’s in-person voting on Tuesday.

“Frankly, there’s no good answer to this problem — I wish it were easy,” Evers said. “I have been asking everyone to do their part to help keep our families, our neighbors, and our communities safe, and I had hoped that the Legislature would do its part— just as the rest of us are— to help keep people healthy and safe.”

Evers’ executive order delays in-person voting until June 9 unless the legislature acts to change it.

Biden Says He’s Still Ready to Talk With Trump (12:49 p.m.)

Joe Biden says he remains ready to discuss his ideas on combating coronavirus with Donald Trump after the president suggested Monday that the Democratic front-runner was trying to avoid the conversation.

“What ever happened to that phone call he told the Fake News he wanted to make to me?” Trump asked in a tweet. He also noted that Biden had called for the Democratic National Convention to be pushed to August and then suggested it might need to be held virtually because of the pandemic.

In a tweet, Biden responded that the Democrats’ ability to gather in Milwaukee in August “is going to depend on you stepping up and doing what needs to be done to handle this pandemic.” He included a link to his coronavirus plan and added that he is “happy to discuss anytime.”

Trump told reporters on Thursday that he would “absolutely” take Biden’s call. “I’d love to speak with him,” Trump said. “I think he’s probably a nice guy.” White House counselor Kellyanne Conway had initially suggested the call during a Fox News interview and Biden’s team said it would be happy to oblige the president.

An official said the Biden campaign had not heard from the White House since Trump said he’d talk to Biden. But after Trump’s tweet Monday, the Biden campaign said it planned to reach out to Trump’s team to try to get a call set up. -- Jennifer Epstein

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