Friday, February 13, 2015
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
The 2016 Democratic National Convention will not take place in Ohio.
A selection committee announced that the event instead will go to Philadelphia. A final contract solidifying the site was signed Thursday morning.
“I am thrilled to announce that Philadelphia will host the convention where we will nominate the 45th president of the United States,” U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who also is DNC chairwoman, said in a statement.
“In addition to their commitment to a seamless and safe convention, Philadelphia’s deep-rooted place in American history provides a perfect setting for this special gathering.”
She added, “I cannot wait to join Democrats across the country to celebrate our shared values, lay out a Democratic vision for the future and support our nominee.”
Democrats had considered Columbus and New York for the convention and completed multiple visits to Ohio’s capital city as part of the process, considering each location’s lodging, transportation infrastructure, financing and other issues.
“Columbus continues to be proud of the collaborative effort we put forth for the incredible opportunity to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention,” Mayor Michael Coleman said in a released statement after the Philadelphia announcement.
“While we were not successful this time around, we will be back in 2020 in hopes of landing a political convention in our city.”
The event will take place the week of July 25, 2016. That’s the week after the 2016 Republican Convention, which will take place in Cleveland.