Flying difficulties kept Jill Biden, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, from attending a Thursday afternoon campaign event in Little Rock, but she was able to attend an evening fundraising function, campaign officials said.
Jill Biden was scheduled to speak at an "Organizing Kickoff" across from the state Capitol at 5 p.m. Thursday after a pair of appearances in New Hampshire earlier in the day.
Instead, several state lawmakers and a Biden campaign official implored the crowd of about 100 to support the former vice president's candidacy.
Vincent Evans, the Biden campaign's Southern political director, told attendees it was important to be in Arkansas and other Southern states in advance of March 3, dubbed "Super Tuesday," when Arkansas and 13 other states hold their presidential primaries.
Evans emphasized Joe Biden's pragmatism, and he said that the former U.S. senator from Delaware has a record of working with other lawmakers across the aisle to pass legislation on Capitol Hill.
"It's been a record of success, and more importantly, it's been a record of progress," Evans said.
Jill Biden's scheduled visit to Arkansas came as her husband tries to rebound from an underwhelming performance in the Iowa caucus this week, which he called a "gut punch." Results are still being reported, but so far, returns indicate that Biden placed fourth in Iowa.
The former second lady -- who has taught English and writing at the high school and college level -- flew to Arkansas after a pair of appearances in New Hampshire, which on Tuesday will be the second state to hold a primary. There the former vice president trails in most polls to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
A twin-engine business jet arrived at 5:52 p.m. at Clinton National Airport/Adams Field from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, N.H., according to FlightAware.com, a website that tracks civil aviation flights.
The website only tracks the flight, the type of aircraft used and the aircraft owner, based on the aircraft tail number.
The aircraft was identified as an IAI 1124 Westwind, a seven-seat private jet. The owner is a limited liability company called W&A Aviation Group based in Yorklyn, Del.
The flight departed Manchester at 3:02 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, and took three hours and 49 minutes to complete the 1,297-mile flight, according to aircraft tracking website.
It was the plane's second flight of the day. The IAI 1124 departed New Castle Airport in Wilmington, Del., shortly after 1 p.m. for the 54-minute flight to Manchester.
The Bidens are from Delaware.
A campaign spokesman said bad head winds delayed the plane's arrival in Little Rock. It was scheduled to leave Little Rock at 8 p.m. Thursday for New Castle, Del.
Southern states are seen as a bulwark for Biden, who polls particularly well among black voters.
Since he entered the presidential race, polls have seen Biden as the favorite to win the Democratic nomination, though his lead has dwindled in recent weeks.
Biden's campaign announced earlier this week the endorsements of former Gov. and U.S. Sen. David Pryor; his son, former U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark.; and several African-American state lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Rep. Fred Love, D-Little Rock; Sen. Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock; and Rep. Jamie Scott, D-North Little Rock.
Information for this article was contributed by Noel Oman of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Metro on 02/07/2020