Thursday, February 27, 2014
COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio’s three largest cities — Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus — have been named finalists in the competition to host the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, named the three among the party’s eight finalists in a Twitter post today. They join Denver, Dallas, Kansas City, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
It’s the first time in modern memory that all three Ohio cities have bid to host the convention in the same year, with Cincinnati’s bid coming in just under the wire of a Wednesday deadline.
Former longtime Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett says he’d like to see the perennial swing state chosen.
“Not in all my time in politics I don’t ever recall three [Ohio] cities bidding at the same time,” Bennett said. “I’m in favor of it coming to the Midwest anyway, because Ohio is a battleground state.”