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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 12 april 2023
Dems tap Chicago for 2024 convention, cite critical Midwest

By WILL WEISSERT ker promised Tuesday that
Associated Press the convention would be
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dem- an “unforgettable event.”
ocrats announced Tues- He had pointed to Demo-
day that they will hold their crats’ desires to expand
party’s 2024 national con- their Midwestern electoral
vention in Chicago, choos- gains, particularly in Michi-
ing the biggest liberal city gan, where their party held
in the Midwest as they try the governorship and won
to keep the momentum control of both chambers
going after a strong mid- of the Legislature during
term election performance last fall’s midterms.
in the key battleground re- That Chicago beat out At-
gion. Organizers from Chi- lanta was nonetheless a
cago, Atlanta and New surprise given Georgia’s
York spent months lobby- strategic importance as
ing to be the site of the a swing state. Biden won
convention, but the final Georgia two years ago,
decision lay with President becoming the first Demo-
Joe Biden, who is expect- crat to do so in a presiden-
ed to formally launch his tial election since Clinton
reelection campaign in The Chicago city skyline is covered by the fog lifted off Lake Michigan on Aug. 5, 2022, in Chicago. in 1992, and his party now
Associated Press
the coming weeks. controls both of its Senate
“Chicago is a great tion will be held at the Unit- posing the Vietnam War. city was in 1996, when Presi- seats after wins that drew
choice,” Biden, who was ed Center, home to the The last Democratic Na- dent Bill Clinton was head- national attention the last
flying to Northern Ireland, NBA’s Chicago Bulls and tional Convention in the ed to a second term. Pritz- two cycles. q
said in a statement. “Dem- the Chicago Blackhawks
ocrats will gather to show- of the NHL. Chicago made
case our historic prog- sense for logistical reasons,
ress including building an with plenty of hotel space
economy from the middle and public transportation.
out and bottom up, not The city is also home to
from the top down.” major Democratic donors
The Democratic National who can help with raising
Committee said its con- money to cover costs of a
vention would be held convention. That includes
Aug. 19-22 and noted that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker,
Illinois, along with Wiscon- a billionaire businessman
sin, Michigan and Min- and heir to the Hyatt hotel
nesota, was part of the fortune who has contribut-
critical Midwestern “blue ed millions to Democratic
wall,” which was key to causes and candidates,
Democrats’ success in the and was a major propo-
2020 and 2022 elections. nent for his city getting the
That rosy language omits convention.
the fact that Michigan and The DNC said that Chicago
Wisconsin narrowly broke represents the party’s diver-
for Donald Trump in 2016, sity and “formidable coali-
helping the Republican tion” and that the Midwest
win the White House. will “showcase President
Chicago is solidly Demo- Biden’s economic agen-
cratic, as is Illinois. But hold- da” including spending
ing the party’s presidential on public works as part of
nominating gathering in a sweeping bipartisan in-
such a pro-union city dem- frastructure package that
onstrates Biden’s commit- cleared Congress in 2021.
ment to organized labor. The 2020 Democratic con-
The move also could coun- vention was supposed to
ter Republicans, who are be held in Milwaukee but
holding their 2024 conven- unfolded virtually because
tion in Milwaukee, located of the coronavirus pan-
in another swing Midwest- demic. Biden delivered a
ern state, Wisconsin. speech accepting his par-
Republican National Com- ty’s nomination that year
mittee Chairman Ronna at a nearly empty con-
McDaniel blasted Demo- vention center in Wilming-
crats’ “radical agenda” ton, Delaware. Chicago
and predicted that voters hosted the infamous 1968
“will soundly reject which- Democratic convention,
ever out-of-touch liberal which is best remembered
the Democrats nominate for a brutal clash between
in Chicago.” The conven- police and protesters op-