WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With less than three months to go before the Republican National Convention, the GOP is on the lookout for a new host for this year’s gathering.
Charlotte was set to host the event this August, but that is up in the air now amid a dispute between the North Carolina governor and the RNC over how the coronavirus might impact the scale of the convention.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump tweeted he was “forced to seek” a different state to host the celebration, railing against social distancing restrictions in the state. Gov. Roy Cooper had said a full-scale event was “very unlikely,” citing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
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What this ultimately means for Charlotte remains unclear. At the very least, some of the big arena-type events - the made-for-TV celebrations that are central to a convention - could end up elsewhere.
“Many other cities are eager to host the president’s acceptance of the nomination, and we are currently in talks with several of them to host that celebration,” said RNC communications director Michael Ahrens in a statement.
However, as of Thursday, at least part of the convention could still take place in the Queen City. The RNC executive committee voted unanimously to allow the official business of the convention to remain in Charlotte.
On Thursday, Charlotte leaders met with representatives from the RNC. In a statement, the City of Charlotte said that during that meeting, “RNC representatives confirmed that at this point in time, they intend to locate the entirety of the business portion of the Convention in Charlotte.” How many people may visit the city and how much space will be needed to accommodate them remains unclear, according to the statement.
Where could the event celebrating the president’s nomination take place?
According to a Republican familiar with conversations, the RNC is considering cities that include: Dallas, Jacksonville, Nashville, New Orleans, Orlando, and Phoenix.
Setting up a convention is no small feat and requires months of extensive planning. With less than three months until the event, time is of the essence if the RNC decides to relocate.
The Cities Weigh In
Leaders of some of the cities and communities included on the short-list are actively petitioning the GOP.
Earlier this week, the mayor of Jacksonville - a Republican - rolled out the welcome wagon on Twitter, writing, “The City is ready for world class events & ready show the world we are open for business.”
The governor of Florida - also a Republican - likewise is making his interest known. Speaking to the press this week, he said he had been in touch with GOP leaders.
“North Carolina approached it as saying ok it’s a default no, and then maybe we’ll see. And my view would be it should be a default yes, and then as we get closer, you can make determinations about how you do it,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis.
However, spokespersons for Orlando and Orange County told Spectrum News 13 in Orlando Wednesday that they have not been approached by GOP representatives about hosting the event.
Other communities on the short list were not quite as eager to host the event. Some outright resisted.
In a statement, a spokesperson for New Orleans City Hall said they are “not seeking to host” the event, referencing how they were an early hot spot in the fight against the coronavirus.
“Our community remains vulnerable, and has been disproportionately impacted in rates of infection and resulting fatalities. An event of this size would endanger the tremendous progress we’ve made in flattening the curve and slowing the spread,” the spokesperson wrote.
Back in May, the Dallas County Judge likewise referenced the pandemic when tweeting about the convention, saying “please go somewhere else.”
“The last thing we need right now is a large gathering of nationwide visitors coming to Dallas,” he wrote.
A spokesperson for the City of Dallas said the RNC had not contacted them directly about moving the convention.
Meanwhile the mayor’s office in Nashville said in a statement they have “no plans” to use public funds to recruit the convention at this time.