WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) – Ohio’s two U.S. senators are urging the Democratic National Committee to have its 2016 convention in the state’s capital.
Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Rob Portman have sent a letter to the committee in support of Columbus’ bid to host the event. The other finalists are Philadelphia and New York City’s Brooklyn borough.
The senators’ letter doesn’t mention those cities but says Columbus is well-positioned and prepared for the task. They say Columbus has plenty of convention space and 24,000 hotel rooms within a 20-minute drive of downtown.
A DNC delegation visited Columbus this week. The committee’s decision is expected in early February.
If Columbus were picked, it would be the first time that two cities in the same state hosted the conventions. Republicans picked Cleveland for their 2016 event.