Democratic National Committee To Chicago: Apply For 2016 National Convention
By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 24, 2014 3:20PM
Could Chicago be in the running for the 2016 Democratic National Convention? It will if the Democratic National Committee has anything to say about it. The DNC has asked Chicago, New York City and 13 other cities across the nation to submit proposals to host the 2016 convention.
The Tribune reports the city may be hesitant to throw their hat into the ring and even though Chicago is home to the President of the United States and his former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is the current mayor, it may not be wise to host the convention here in Barack Obama’s lame duck year.
While the city is Obama’s hometown, the president’s lame-duck status makes a Chicago choice questionable as Democrats pick a nominee to succeed him. At the same time, political parties also factor in the political value of a potential host city — particularly when it might help to locate the event in a potential swing state such as Ohio, Pennsylvania or Florida.
Another factor that may not be in Chicago’s favor is Emanuel ongoing antagonistic stance with public sector unions, a major voting bloc among Democrats.
Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed reported last November the city may have also been interested in hosting the 2016 Republican National Convention but no proposal was submitted. Emanuel spokeswoman Sarah Hamilton said of the DNC request, "We will evaluate the opportunity this could provide and proceed accordingly."