GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga was planning to be on stage with Vice President Mike Pence this week until he tested positive for coronavirus. Huizenga, who represents Michigan's 2nd District, announced on Wednesday that a rapid test performed before the event came back positive.
"Today I'm feeling a little more of a head cold maybe and I'm tired, I'm definitely tired," he said Thursday. "But we're doing ok and thankful that I'm doing alright hopefully these symptoms don't get any worse."
Huizenga will remain in isolation for the next 10 to 14 days with the election less than three weeks away. The pandemic is a challenge that is dominating an election year like no other.
Political Expert Kathy Barks Hoffman says the pandemic is even more important to voters than issues like the economy and healthcare.
"I think that COVID actually touches on just about everything voters are concerned about and then there is the question of whether the President has handled COVID correctly," says Hoffman.
But she also says that neither presidential candidate has been penalized for their different approaches to campaigning.
"It's not affecting the race the way it has in the past. I think that you are not seeing Joe Biden get knocked by the voters for not doing big rallies, but you are also not seeing President Trump lose any of his support because he is," says Hoffman.
Trump tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago. He has already started holding in-person events again. Joe Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris, has put in-person events on hold after two people associated with the campaign tested positive for COVID-19.
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