Cleveland is choice for Republican convention
By Joel Connelly on July 8, 2014 at 10:36 AM
The 2016 Republican National Convention will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, in a state carried by the winner of the last 13 presidential elections.
Reince Priebus, Republican National Chairman: Cleveland is "a city that's on the rise."
Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, announced the selection on Fox News, which serves as the unofficial broadcast voice of the Republican Party.
"It's a city that's on the rise," said Priebus.
Sometimes nicknamed "the mistake on the lake," scene of a river that once caught fire, and home to a population that has declined in recent years, Cleveland has sought to refurbish its image.
The convention "is a unique opportunity to showcase the new Cleveland as one of America's great cities, and to bring money and jobs to Ohio," said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.
The GOP's selection of Cleveland removes it from cities under consideration for the Democratic National Convention. Columbus, Ohio, remains on the Democrats' list.
Priebus said the Republican Convention will be held earlier than in years last. Instead of late August, it will begin either on June 28 or July 18, depending on negotiations with the city.
Moving the convention up gives the Republicans' candidate more time to raise and spend general election money. In 2012, Mitt Romney was cash-strapped for much of the summer, during which the Democrats ran TV commercials depicting him as an out-of-touch rich guy.
Cleveland beat out Dallas, which was the other finalist. "Big D" hosted the 1984 Republican convention that renominated Ronald Reagan, an event famous for its 100 degree-plus temperatures outside the convention hall.
The Texas Republican Party has also taken extreme stands, particularly a recent platform plank approving efforts to "convert" gays and lesbians in their sexual identity. The state's outgoing governor, Rick Perry, is a climate change denier while his heir-apparent Greg Abbott is a major recipient of campaign contributions from the fertilizer industry.