Democrats showed love to Brooklyn by naming it a finalist for landing the party’s 2016 convention, officials announced.
New York is among three cities now vying to host the Democratic National Convention. Phildelphia and Columbus, Ohio are also in the running. Birmingham, Alabama and Phoenix are no longer potential hosts.
“We are fortunate to have such a diverse and vibrant group of cities interested in hosting this special event and we thank Phoenix and Birmingham for showcasing their special communities,” Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Columbus, New York, and Philadelphia as we go forward.”
The convention would be a citywide event in New York, anchored at the Barclays Center in the heart of Brooklyn.
News of the finalists came after a closed-door meeting Mayor Bill de Blasio held with elected officials and community members to build support for bringing the convention to New York City.
The committee also released the potential dates for the 2016 convention: the weeks of July 18, July 25, and Aug. 22. A final host city and date will be announced early next year, the committee said.
De Blasio’s administration last week announced it had secured $10 million in commitments toward the convention costs from members of the city’s host committee.
A DNC scouting team visited Barclays Center in early August to assess its potential as a convention hall. The committee members also toured Manhattan, which would provide hotels and lodging for many convention-goers including delegates, and other parts of Brooklyn. They were taken to city museums and to the mayoral home Gracie Mansion.
Past New York City national party conventions — including the Republicans in 2004 and the Democrats in 1992 and 1980 — have been held at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.
