Columbus, which had also submitted a bid to host the GOP convention, was cut from the competition last month. City officials plan to submit a bid for the Democratic National Convention instead.
Landing a national party convention can mean an economic boost of hundreds of millions of dollars for the host region and bring in more than 50,000 visitors.
Cincinnati officials reportedly withdrew their bid because of concerns that U.S. Bank Arena did not meet the facilities requirements for the convention. Las Vegas, once thought to be a front-runner, also withdrew from the running because of concerns about the availability of convention sites in the days leading up to the convention.
RNC convention site selection committee Chair Enid Mickelsen of Oklahoma said both Cincinnati and Las Vegas “made a compelling case for 2016 and would make excellent hosts should they pursue efforts to host a future RNC convention.”
Those who led Cleveland’s efforts, meanwhile, were gleeful yesterday.
“We are thrilled that Cleveland has been named a finalist to host the 2016 Convention,” said Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges, adding that the convention would showcase Ohio’s economic turnaround.
He said he was “disappointed” Cincinnati did not advance, but proud of its bid.
“We now look forward to doing all we can to bring the convention to Cleveland,” he said.
“There is no doubt that our city’s renaissance is fully underway,” said Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, who has pushed for Cleveland landing the convention in part because of its economic benefits.
Cincinnati had billed itself as a site that would appeal to three states — Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana – and its application included supporting letters from House Speaker John Boehner, R-West Chester Twp., as well as Kentucky’s Republican senators, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul. Their site had initially met all the requirements in the GOP’s request for proposal, according to Hamilton County Chairman Alex Triantifilou.
But that changed after RNC staff visited earlier this spring, and in conversations with RNC staff that began last night, Cincinnati officials realized their site didn’t meet the requirements. “We thought the process was very positive,” Triantifilou said. “We enjoyed talking about the city.”
A spokesman for U.S. Bank Arena released a statement saying that while the site met the initial requirements, further requirements were added after the site visit that “proved to be difficult to facilitate.”
Requirements included temporary modifications such as TV platforms that were “not easily remedied,” the statement said.
All four remaining cities will now receive visits from the Republican National Committee’s nine-member site selection committee. The RNC hopes to pick its site by late summer or early fall.
About the Author