DNC chair says he still expects Democrats to hold in-person convention

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said Sunday he fully expects his party to hold an in-person nominating convention this summer.

"We’re not going to put our public health head in the sand, but I’m optimistic that we can do so because we’ve put it off for five weeks," Perez told ABC's "This Week," mentioning the convention's delay until mid-August. "We’re working with all of the public health experts, state, federal, local, and I’m excited about Milwaukee."

"I’m excited about this election, and I’m excited about making sure that Joe Biden has an opportunity to show what he’s fighting for," Perez added.

Officials announced last month that the four-day Milwaukee convention would be delayed from July 13 to August 17 due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

"In our current climate of uncertainty, we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention," Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee, said in a statement at the time. "During this critical time, when the scope and scale of the pandemic and its impact remain unknown, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice of health care professionals and emergency responders."

Meanwhile, the four-day Republican National Convention is set to begin on August 24 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Republicans told NBC News just prior to the Democratic delay that they're "full speed ahead" for their convention, citing its position in the calendar.