Dems select Chicago for 2024 convention
READ MORE: How a crowded Republican field could help Trump in 2024 election
Chicago hosted the infamous 1968 Democratic convention, which is best remembered for a brutal clash between police and protesters opposing the Vietnam War. The last Democratic National Convention in the city was in 1996, when President Bill Clinton won a second term.
Illinois Democratic Gov. J. B. Pritzker was a key voice in lobbying for Chicago and promised Tuesday that the convention would be an unforgettable event. He had pointed to Democrats desires to expand their Midwestern electoral gains, particularly in Michigan, where their party held the governorship and won control of both chambers of the Legislature during last falls midterms.
That Chicago beat out Atlanta was nonetheless a surprise given Georgias strategic importance as a swing state. Biden won Georgia two years ago, becoming the first Democrat to do so in a presidential election since Clinton in 1992, and his party now controls both of its Senate seats after wins that drew national attention the last two cycles.
Though Atlanta is as thoroughly Democratic as Chicago and New York, Georgia could very well be a major deciding factor in the 2024 presidential race in a way Illinois will not be.
Still, some top Democrats worried about Georgias Republican-controlled Legislature and state laws discouraging union membership and LGBTQ rights. There were also concerns about Georgias relaxed firearms laws, especially given the rash of mass shootings around the country despite gun violence being a persistent problem in Chicago.
But shunning Atlanta for the convention could ultimately serve as a double blow to Georgia, which may also eventually lose its early place in a new Democratic primary calendar.
Biden endorsed moving Georgia to the No. 4 position in a revamped Democratic primary calendar for 2024 changes meant to better empower the partys deeply diverse voter base than the old system, which led off with overwhelmingly white Iowa.
But Republican state officials have balked at the Democrats holding a primary on a date that doesnt coincide with the GOPs 2024 primary.
As Biden prepares an expected reelection campaign, he is already focused on 2024s general election, rather than the primary, facing only token opposition from Democratic challengers Marianne Williamson, a spiritual adviser and author, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist.
New York City and state are also deeply blue in presidential races. But choosing the city for the convention might have helped Democrats in other parts of the state, its advocates said. Those other parts include Long Island, where Republican gains in key congressional districts helped the party flip the House last year.
Supporters of Atlantas bid had argued that the city and the rest of Georgia could help lead a resurgence of Democrats in the South, which remains largely steadfastly Republican.
Left:
Democrats have chosen Chicago to host their 2024 national convention, trying to keep the party's momentum going after last fall's midterm election success in the critical Midwest. Dec 13, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA. Quinn Harris/USA TODAY Sports
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Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at 3:46 pm