fb-pixelOhio seeks to host GOP convention - The Boston Globe Skip to main content

Ohio seeks to host GOP convention

WASHINGTON — Ohio is looking to reassert its political clout by pressing forward with three bids to host the Republican National Convention, competing against fast-growing states that have newer infrastructure and the more diverse electorate that the party is trying to attract.

Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus are among eight cities still in the running for the GOP convention. The field is expected to be whittled down by month’s end, when Republican National Committee officials announce the cities they plan to visit. A final decision is due by early fall.

Ohio has not hosted a national political convention since 1936, when it boasted 26 electoral votes as the nation’s fourth most populous state. Today, located in the slow-growing Midwest, Ohio has 18 electoral votes and is on track to lose one more by 2020.

Advertisement



The three cities, compared to some of the others that submitted bids, also may have a somewhat weaker network of hotels and transportation.

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus and other officials have stressed the importance of $55 million in private fund-raising, as well as hotel space. The other cities being considered are Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.

Associated Press