MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee is considered the frontrunner in the competition for host city of the Republican National Convention in 2024, Politico's Playbook newsletter reports.
Two other cities are vying to be selected to host the RNC, including Nashville and Salt Lake City.
Politico reported recently Pittsburgh was eliminated from the selection process.
On Thursday, members of the RNC's selection committee visited Milwaukee, and former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker joined them to talk up why the city should be the convention host.
Politico, cited an unnamed source who is familiar with ongoing talks, reported RNC officials "love this town" and that it is now the "frontrunner."
Party officials further plan to select Reince Priebus, the Wisconsin native who is a former RNC chair and White House chief of staff, as the chair of the host committee if Milwaukee is selected.
Milwaukee missed out on hosting an in-person Democratic National Convention in 2020.
Most of the convention was held virtually due to COVID-19, and the city did not benefit from the usual financial boost such a large convention brings to host cities.
Milwaukee submitted its bid for the RNC in December of 2021.
The city's application highlighted access to Lake Michigan, entertainment venues, festivals, the culinary scene, the Milwaukee Bucks’ championship, the Wisconsin Center expansion, Fiserv Forum and more.
Politico also reports some of the perks Milwaukee has for the 2024 RNC is the infrastructure it has from prepping for the 2020 DNC.
They also like the sizable $30 million pledged by local donors for the convention and are impressed by Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson, a Democrat who has been pushing hard for Milwaukee to be the lucrative host RNC.
While the politics of the convention hang on one side of the political spectrum, economically it would benefit everyone, VISIT Milwaukee notes.
“Milwaukee is pursuing the RNC for the same reason it pursued the DNC,” Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of VISIT Milwaukee, in a statement this week. “To bring hundreds of millions of dollars in near- and long-term economic benefit to our restaurants, bars, hotels, shops and venues," said Williams-Smith.
Newschannel5 in Nashville recently reported republicans in Tennessee made a big push to host the 2024 Republican National Convention in Nashville while RNC members were in Salt Lake City trying to scope out locations.
The Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden says both current Gov. Bill Lee and former Gov. Bill Haslam flew out to pitch the Volunteer State in early February.
The RNC plans to visit Nashville in a couple of weeks.
A decision will be made later this year.
This story was first reported by TMJ4 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with additional reporting from WTVF in Nashville.
