Kamala Harris to skip Al Smith dinner, a traditional event for major presidential candidates
PHOENIX (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris will skip this year’s Al Smith charity dinner in New York, breaking with presidential tradition so she can campaign instead in a battleground state less than three weeks before Election Day.
The dinner benefitting Catholic Charities traditionally has been used to promote collegiality and good humor, with presidential candidates from both parties appearing on the same night and trading barbs.
Her team told organizers that she would be willing to attend as president if she’s elected, the official said.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who plays a prominent role in the dinner, has been highly critical of Democrats, writing a 2018 Wall Street Journal op-ed that carried the headline, “The Democrats Abandon Catholics.”
https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-al-smith-dinner-109cbfcdb2693c960483b8d4843cd704