Democratic National Committee announced the dates of their 2016 presidential convention today, although a host city has not been decided yet. The convention will take place throughout the week of July 25, the week after their Republican counterparts hold their convention in Cleveland.
Both convention dates are earlier than the usual late August nominations. Republicans announced their early dates in order to give their candidate extra time to get to know voters before the November elections (the last time around Republicans had a late August convention, Mitt Romney had his thunder stolen by Hurricane Isaac, which allowed President Obama to usurp the headlines by ‘acting presidential’ throughout the storm’s aftermath), and Democrats are keeping up with the Joneses.
While the Democrats do not announced a host city yet, the DNC has pared down their options to either New York City, Philadelphia, or Columbus, Ohio. Officials expect to announce the host city within the next few weeks.
“We are nonetheless in discussions with 3 outstanding cities and are looking forward to a diverse and inclusive convention that displays our party’s values,” said Democratic National Committee Chairmwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fl) in a statement.
Many believe Columbus ranks among the top picks, as it is a prominent city in a highly contested swing state that could mitigate any Republican momentum built up in Ohio after their convention in Cleveland the week before. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the decision “comes down to three key factors: venue options, money and security preparation. Money appears to be the biggest one.”
