Dec. 7 (UPI) -- President-elect Joe Biden on Monday named five prominent Democratic supporters to lead the committee overseeing his Jan. 20 inauguration as the 46th U.S. president.
Rep. James Clyburn, South Carolina Democrat and a staunch Biden ally, will head a committee of five co-chairs also including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond and Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester.
"[Vice President-elect] Kamala [Harris] and I are honored and grateful to these leaders for joining our inaugural committee as co-chairs and helping to organize a safe inauguration for all Americans," Biden said in a statement.
Analysts credit Clyburn with helping Biden's then-struggling presidential bid with an emotional endorsement before the Feb. 29 South Carolina Democratic primary, boosting his support among Black voters.
Biden easily won the primary with 48% of the vote and went on claim the nomination.
Whitmer, once considered a top candidate to be Biden's running mate, said the inauguration "will exemplify the strength and resilience our country has demonstrated throughout this entire year and set the stage for how the Biden-Harris administration will beat the pandemic, create jobs that fuel economic recovery and unite all Americans."
Biden on Friday said that in light of the continuing surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, his inauguration will follow the recommendations of health experts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
"It is highly unlikely we'll have a million people on the mall going all the way down to the (Lincoln) Memorial," he told CBS News, adding there "probably will not be a gigantic inaugural parade on Pennsylvania Avenue."
Rather, he said, there will be "a lot of virtual activity in states all across America, engaging even more people than before."
President Donald Trump, who has refused to concede Biden's win, is considering holding an opposing political rally during the inauguration, Axios reported.
