The Republican Party of Wisconsin is pushing back its annual state convention from mid-May to July because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The planned three-day convention will now be held over two days, July 10-11 in Green Bay.

The move was first reported by WisPolitics.com.

Asked how the party reconciled the move even as legislative Republicans seek to end Gov. Tony Evers' stay-at-home order in a push to reopen business, party chairman Andrew Hitt said: "It's pretty simple. It's a timing issue."

"The Executive Committee voted this week to change the date," Hitt said in a text to the Journal Sentinel. "We need lead time for registrations and event organizing, so even if the current restrictions expired sometime in May, we would not have the desired amount of time for a successful convention."

State Democrats have already cut back their state convention to one day, June 12, in Wisconsin Dells. Party chair Ben Wikler has until May 1 to decide whether to hold an in-person event or move to a virtual format.

"The Democratic state party convention will take place in June," Wikler said in a text."We'll decide in the coming days whether to make it 100% virtual."