Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Friday that Georgia’s capital city would compete to host the 2024 Democratic nominating convention, which would give one of the nation’s premier battleground states an even more prominent role in the next race for the White House.
Dickens told Democrats at the state party’s annual gala that Atlanta is well-positioned to win the competition for the quadrennial event, which would bring nearly 5,000 delegates and as many as 45,000 other people for a four-night bash to celebrate the presidential nominee.
“We are going to do everything in our power to bring the 2024 Democratic National Convention to Atlanta, Georgia,” said Dickens, after a video dubbed “Good Trouble” played honoring the legacy of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
He was joined by U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, the successor of Lewis who is also the chairwoman of the state party. She reminded the cheering audience that “Atlanta influences everything.”
Atlanta is one of at least eight cities asked by Democratic officials to bid for the convention to be held in summer 2024. Though the full list of the cities has yet to be publicly revealed, officials say other potential contenders include Chicago and Houston.
Georgia Democrats are also competing with rival states for another distinction. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier this month that party officials are taking preliminary steps to secure a coveted spot as one of the earliest states to vote in the 2024 presidential primary.
Atlanta has until May 27 to submit its full proposal to be considered as a DNC host. Republicans, meanwhile, have already narrowed their choices to Nashville and Milwaukee for 2024.
Republicans quickly mocked the idea.
“The people of Atlanta have suffered enough at the hands of Democrats,” said Garrison Douglas of the Republican National Committee. “Hosting the Democrats’ national convention would only rub salt in a broke, crime inflicted wound.”
The city last hosted the Democratic nominating convention in 1988, when Michael Dukakis was official minted as the party’s presidential nominee.
Landing the DNC would further elevate Georgia’s status as one of the nation’s most politically competitive states after a momentous 2020 election cycle.
Georgia voted Democratic in the race for president for the first time since 1992, and Democrats won both U.S. Senate seats in runoffs to flip control of the chamber.
