CHICAGO — Democrats from the Midwest appeal to President Joe Biden for Chicago to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention. They argue that the party must send a clear signal of support to ensure its “blue wall,” of states, is maintained in the next presidential election.
A group of mayors, governors and congresspeople from Illinois, Minnesota, and Kentucky signed a Wednesday letter that was made first available to NBC News . The letter urged Jaime Harrison, the DNC Chair, and the White House to choose Chicago.
Their argument? Their argument?
They claim that this is when Democrats lost sight of the ball.
The letter states that “these states were taken for granted up until the ominous warning signals flashed on Election Day at which time they were already lost.” “This single exception proves that the rule is the rule: When the fate of the country hangs in balance, we can’t afford to ignore the Midwest.”
Hillary Clinton, Democratic presidential nominee, famously skipped Wisconsin in 2016 during her general election campaign. Trump won the state by approximately 22,000 votes. Biden won Wisconsin in 2020 with roughly 20,000 votes. He claimed at the time that he had rebuilt the “blue wall” in Midwest.
The letter stated that “In an extremely polarized country, whose electoral colleges model has a hold on election outcomes”, the Midwest was crucial to the party’s success, and should be the location of its 2024 convention.”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Minnesota Governor. Tim Walz, all Democrats, supports Chicago as the convention venue, along with Democrats in Iowa and Missouri, Kentucky, and elsewhere.
According to two sources close to the discussions, DNC officials considered Atlanta and Chicago the frontrunners for the bid for DNC in 2024. However, New York is still in the running. The final decision will be made by President Joe Biden. His choices are not always predictable. In December, he shocked even South Carolina officialswhen the state he selected to replace Iowa in the Democratic presidential primary.
Although the Wednesday letter did not mention Georgia, officials made reference to red-state concerns such as voting access and the fact that it is a right state.
They argued that holding a convention in a state with policies that fundamentally disagree with Democratic principles would send a damaging message to voters. “The Midwest has been a bastion for strong labor unions for generations. It is an oasis for reproductive choice and a stronghold for civil rights protections.
A group of leaders who supported holding the convention in Atlanta made the same appeal in January for the state. Former Louisiana Rep. Cedric, who is now a senior DNC officer and Biden’s political advisor, is among those supporting an Atlanta convention. He is also a strong political ally of Biden’s, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.).
This letter stated that “Democratic turnout is the greatest reason that Vice President Harris and you are here today instead of Donald Trump.”
Lori Lightfoot, Chicago’s Mayor, has strongly advocated that the convention be held in Chicago. Just recently, the mayor lost her reelection bid. Within 48 hours, however, the two remaining candidates in the runoff – Paul Vallas (left) and Brandon Johnson (right) wrote a letter to the DNC affirming their full commitment to the convention.
It stated, among other things, that “Regardless of who becomes Mayor, it will remain a top priority for us to work with the current mayoral Administration in a seamless transition, bring the convention to Chicago, and ensure it’s a success in all possible ways.”
