CLEVELAND, Ohio – It is not immediately clear how the Republican party’s choice of Cleveland as the site for the GOP’s 2016 national convention will affect Columbus’s chances of landing the Democrats’ event, but there is a lot of speculation that it couldn’t hurt.
If nothing else, it narrows the field as both Ohio cities were due to get closer looks by the Democratic committee this summer. Without Cleveland in the mix, only New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Birmingham, Ala. remain to challenge Ohio’s capital city.
Many observers say, once the Republicans’ tapped Cleveland, the Democrats may also choose an Ohio city so as not to appear disrespectful of the Buckeye State and, more importantly, its 18 votes in the Electoral College.
“The Republicans put a big stake in the ground for Ohio’s vote in 2016, and we are working to make sure the Democrats come to compete by choosing Columbus, the swing region of our battleground state,” Mayor Michael Coleman said in a statement congratulating Cleveland.
Since John F. Kennedy in 1960, no candidate from either party has been elected president without winning Ohio and no Republican has ever made it to the White House without taking the state. This will be the first major party political convention in the state since 1936.
“Our team is focused on creating the best delegate experience for Democrats in 2016 and Columbus has what it takes,” says Brian Ross, president and CEO of Experience Columbus, which is spearheading the effort to attract the conventions.
Local officials say a national political convention would cost about $60 million but could draw as many as 45,000 people and pump $150 to $200 million into the economy of Central Ohio.
In Cleveland, local and state officials are jubilant that the city is the likely host for the GOP gathering. The formal decision will come next month when the 168-member Republican National Committee meets in Washington.
Democratic Cuyahoga County executive and gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald says the choice shows Cleveland is in the midst of a historical renaissance.
Republican Gov. John Kasich says the convention will not only benefit a rejuvenated Cleveland, but it also will showcase the rest of the state and its business advancements.
Ohio’s GOP chairman Matt Borges credited Republicans and Democrats alike for their efforts in showcasing Cleveland and its capabilities during the site selection panel’s visits to the city.
“This is a huge win for Ohio and will put our great state in the national spotlight. We’ll have an opportunity to tell our story and show other states and the nation how our pro-jobs policies are working,” he said.
The selection panel’s vote could be a big step in the city’s effort to remake its hard-bitten image.
Local officials have been saying for weeks the convention is not just about the money. It’s a new face that Cleveland can project to the world.
“It’s a unique opportunity to showcase the new Cleveland as one of America’s great cities, and to bring dollars and jobs to Ohio. I am really proud of the way the Cleveland community has come together,” Republican Senator Rob Portman said.
“This isn’t about being a Democrat or Republican. This is about bringing jobs to Northeast Ohio and ensuring that our region’s economy continues to grow—with the focus of the country, and even world, on Ohio once again,” said Ohio’s Democratic senator, Sherrod Brown.
Not many places in the U.S. have suffered like Cleveland has the last 50 years. Its population has nosedived and its manufacturing base has been decimated.
Yet in the last 10 years, more than $4.5 billion has been spent or is about to be spent on downtown.