MILWAUKEE — The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago in 2024, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday, just a month after the Republican National Convention is set to be held in Milwaukee.
The DNC will be held from Aug. 19-22, 2024. The Democratic National Committee selected Chicago over other cities competing, Atlanta and New York.
"Chicago is a great choice to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention," President Biden said in a statement. "Democrats will gather to showcase our historic progress including building an economy from the middle out and bottom-up, not from the top down."
This comes as Milwaukee hosts the 2024 Republican National Convention. The RNC however is scheduled about a month before, July 15-18, 2024.
The DNC is expected to bring up to 50,000 visitors to Chicago. Evening events are scheduled at the United Center and daytime business at the McCormick Place Convention Center.
The decision came after DNC members did site visits and deliberated. Chicago and Atlanta were seen as the front runners recently, over New York, according to NBC News.
Chicago was seen as the favorite because of the venue (the United Center) and the host of hotels and restaurants in the city. DNC members also believed in Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and his ability to not let the convention fail.
Chicago's new mayor, Brandon Johnson, also personally pitched hosting the convention to President Biden.
The DNC convention is expected to cost around $90 million. Chicago last hosted the DNC in 1996.
Welcome to Illinois, #DNC2024!
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) April 11, 2023
In the Land of Lincoln and Obama, we’ve led the fight in delivering progress for working families.
And we’re so excited to have you join us right here in the heart of our nation where big shoulders meet big stories — and get big things done.
Yes, #DNC2024!🎉⁰⁰Welcome to the heart of the nation—the Mighty Midwest—where Illinois stands up for working families, trusts women, and is leading the way in creating equal opportunity for all. ⁰⁰Our only way forward is together and we look forward to continued progress!
— Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton (@LtGovStratton) April 11, 2023
Prep continues for 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee
By Elaine Rojas-Castillo, Feb 02, 2023
We're about a year and a half away from the arrival of the 2024 Republican National Convention and today, we learned a few new details from officials.
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said during the press briefing Thursday that "You should be able to expect that we'll have a debate here in Milwaukee."
Host committee Chief Executive Officer Steve King said they are working with a Chicago-based firm OnPeak to arrange contracts with 300-400 hotels in Wisconsin in a 60-mile radius to help house the convention’s visitors.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson joined King, McDaniel, and MKE 2024 Host Committee Chair Reince Priebus on Thursday to officially mark the journey to the convention.
"We've got a few political differences, but we are united and that we have a desire to make sure that Milwaukee shines in the summer of 2024," Mayor Johnson said.
"As important as Wisconsin is as a battleground state as a purple state we wouldn't be here if it weren't for the wonderful city of Milwaukee," McDaniel stated.
Set to come to the city from July 15 through July 18, 2024, the arrival of the convention could welcome more than 50,000 people to the city over the course of a month.
Financially, the RNC is expected to bring in nearly $200 million in potential revenue.
"We're already getting inquiries like crazy. The contracting process is already happening here at our hotel and in the area," said Greta McCue, director of sales at the Aloft Milwaukee Downtown.
The hotel, which is steps away from Fiserv Forum, expects to book all of their 160 rooms for event.
"Our whole team is very tenured. And, you know, this is still probably the biggest thing that any of us have ever been a part of. So we're really excited for it," McCue said.
"When we bring the delegates and the guests, which is like four Super Bowls in a row into the city, we're going to try to map this out so that every part of the city is taking in the economic boom that there's convention has to offer. It's not just gonna be downtown," Priebus said.
The challenges leading up to the convention range from coordinating security, transportation, fundraising, and making sure guests can make it to the convention within 30 minutes from their hotel.
This comes about four years after the Brew City was chosen to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention. As you might remember, the pandemic forced the city to hold it virtually.
Wisconsin is one of the few states in the country that can truly be considered purple during the general election.
Wisconsin is a crucial swing state for both Democrats and Republicans with President Joe Biden winning the state in 2020 after former President Donald Trump won it in 2016.
The latest updates on the RNC can be found on the convention's new website, which launched Thursday.
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