Tuesday, July 08, 2014YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The Republican National Committee’s Site Selection Committee today announced that it wants the party’s 2016 national convention to be held in Cleveland.
It will be the first national political convention to be held in Ohio since 1936.
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus made the announcement on Fox News.
Said Priebus, “A Cleveland convention offers our party a great steppingstone to the White House in 2016. The team from Cleveland has gone above and beyond the call of duty and I think they’re representative of a city eager to show the country all the fantastic things they have to offer.”
The RNC and Cleveland will now enter into exclusive negotiations on key details for the 2016 convention, he said. The committee’s recommendation will be presented to the full Republican National Committee when they meet in Chicago in early August. It's contingent on successful contract negotiations and a final vote by RRNC members.
The GOP convention would begin on June 28 or July 18, 2016. It would be the first national political convention to be held in Ohio since 1936. Every hotel room and restaurant from Cleveland to the Mahoning Valley is likely to be sold out for that week.
“The RNC set a new standard for conventions during this process," said Priebus. "Not only will the convention be held earlier in 2016, but there are also substantial guarantees in place for funding that put us well ahead of previous conventions and will give our nominee the best opportunity to succeed.”
The city of Dallas was the second choice of the Site Selection Committee.
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown, a Republican and a Democrat, each praised the selection of Cleveland, taking note of the huge economic boost a national political convention brings with it. So, too, did Gov. John Kasich, at this stage a darkhorse contender for the Republican Party's presidential nomination.
"We're going to be able to tell the country something we've been so hungry to do -- tell the rest of the country about Ohio, about what we've done, what we've accomplished. That we have the right formula for helping the country. We've used it in Ohio, it works, now we can tell the country that what we do here works," ," Kasich said at a press event in Hamilton.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-13, added some political humor to his statement of congratulations.
"I am also proud that both Cleveland and Columbus remain on the short list to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention," Ryan said. "This is yet another reminder of just how important our great state is to the nation and I call on the Democratic Party, for this one and only time, to follow the Republican Party’s lead and host our convention in Ohio."
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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