The announcement is a setback for Houston, which was a final contender to host the convention. Miami was also on the short list.
Houston Democratic insiders who were pushing for the convention have said the city’s convention center and hotel space were indisputable strengths. But ultimately, the selection of Milwaukee was a decision of one person: DNC Chairman Tom Perez.
It also is an indicator of a Democratic party that is defensively attempting to take back a state it lost in the 2016 presidential campaign.
President Donald Trump carried Wisconsin in 2016 but former President Barack Obama won it in 2012. Democrats were pleasantly surprised when the party made gains in Texas in 2016 and made significant party-building progress in the 2018 midterms. The would-be Houston convention was perceived as a way to show the party is staking its claim on Texas, which a Democratic presidential candidate hasn’t won in decades.
The Milwaukee convention will take place from July 13 to July 16, 2020. The Republican National Committee released its own dates and location last year. Republicans will meet from Aug. 24 to Aug. 27, 2020 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2019/03/11/dnc-passes-over-houston-2020-convention-choosing-milwaukee-instead/.
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