Benjamin in Washington for Obama’s last State Dinner as president

When news broke Tuesday that Columbia Mayor Steven Benjamin was on the first draft of potential vice presidential running mates for Hillary Clinton, he was was on the road headed to Washington, D.C., to attend the last State Dinner to be hosted by Barack Obama as U.S. President.

The formal White House affair in honor of Italy’s Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi and his wife, Agnese Landini, was held Tuesday night.

“It’s an honor to represent the people of Columbia tonight and especially our proud Italian-American citizens during National Italian American Heritage Month,” Benjamin said in a news release.

Benjamin has known Renzi for several years. In 2013, Renzi, then the mayor of Florence, Italy, presented Benjamin ceremonial Keys to the city.

Late Tuesday night, Benjamin shared some of the sights of the night on his twitter account.

This story was originally published October 18, 2016 at 6:42 PM with the headline "Benjamin in Washington for Obama’s last State Dinner as president."