Milwaukee submits bid for Republican National Convention

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The City of Milwaukee has submitted its bid to host the Republican National Convention in 2024.

The application, which includes more than 200 pages, highlights the city’s access to Lake Michigan, entertainment venues, festivals, the culinary scene, the Milwaukee Bucks’ championship, the Wisconsin Center expansion, Fiserv Forum and more.

Visit Milwaukee CEO Peggy Williams-Smith said it also cites the city’s experience preparing to host the Democratic National Convention in 2020, an event that became mostly virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think the odds are as good as they can be,” Williams-Smith said. “We’re an amazing Midwest city, and we’re also a purple state and that’s always attractive for a convention.”

Visit Milwaukee, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, received an inquiry from the Republican National Committee in October. Williams-Smith said at the time that her organization was reviewing the request for proposals.

Mayor Tom Barrett said he would be as enthusiastic to support the RNC as he was to support the DNC, the Journal Sentinel reported.

“We would love to have it, and I would love to see the Democrats come back as well,” he said.

He said Republicans should feel comfortable in Milwaukee, a heavily Democratic city, noting “we are a blue city but a purple state.”

It’s likely Barrett would no longer be mayor if either convention were to choose the city. He’s waiting for confirmation to become ambassador to Luxembourg.