Vice President Joe Biden made an unannounced appearance Saturday at an important political event in his home state: the Sussex Democratic Jamboree in Lewes, Delaware.
Local organizers describe the Jamboree as a must-stop for Delaware-based candidates and officeholders. It is an unofficial kickoff of the election cycle mixed with a summer party atmosphere. Tickets are sold to raise funds for the local Democratic Party.
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Biden’s office had previously told NBC News the vice president did not plan to attend. But on Saturday, an aide to the vice president told NBC News that Biden wanted to “thank the entire Democratic community for their support over the last few months” since the death of his oldest son, Beau Biden, in May.
Aides say there was no expectation that Biden would discuss his consideration of a 2016 campaign, despite those in attendance being politically active Democrats.
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The event is held at an outdoor pavilion that was previously named for the vice president’s family, but is now known as the “main pavilion” at Cape Henlopen State Park. The late Beau Biden also attended the event through much of his life as a boy, and later as a state official. The vice president’s official schedule stated that he would be in residence in Wilmington, Delaware, with no public events this weekend. This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com
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