Dems pick Milwaukee to host 2020 national convention

Democrats are picking Milwaukee as the host city for the Democratic National Convention in 2020, four years after presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s loss in Wisconsin contributed to the election of President Trump.

Clinton was the first Democrat since Walter Mondale to lose Wisconsin to a Republican, and she has taken criticism for not visiting or paying attention to the state.

The decision to put the convention in Milwaukee signals the party’s commitment to retaking Wisconsin in 2020. Democrats got a head start in the state in 2018 when they defeated longtime GOP Gov. Scott Walker. 

{mosads}The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced Milwaukee had beaten out Houston and Miami to host the convention, which is slated for July 13 through July 16, 2020, and will be held at the Fiserv Forum. The arena was opened last year and is home to the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.

The DNC noted that this is the first time the party will hold a national convention in the Midwest outside of Chicago since 1916. The party’s convention in 2016 was in Philadelphia.

The Republican National Convention is slated to be held next year in Charlotte, N.C..

In addition to losing Wisconsin, Clinton was defeated in the states of Pennsylvania and Michigan, neither of which had been won by a Republican since President George H.W. Bush in 1992.

The loss of the three states has haunted Democrats, as Clinton won the popular vote and would have won the electoral college if she had managed to hold on to the three states.

All three states will be closely fought over in 2020, and Democrats lining up for the party’s nomination are likely to have to prove to some voters that they can win where Clinton lost. 

In addition to defeating Walker, Democrats won several statewide offices in Wisconsin in 2018, including lieutenant governor and attorney general. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) also won reelection last year.

“After a decade of Republican attacks on working people, labor unions, and communities of color, Democrats saw some of their biggest and most historic gains last year in Wisconsin with the election of Governor Tony Evers, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, and Attorney General Josh Kaul, and the reelection of Senator Tammy Baldwin,” the DNC said in a statement. “Today’s announcement signals that the party is doubling down on its winning strategy in this critical battleground state.”

DNC Chairman Tom Perez said that the selection of Milwaukee “is a statement of our values.”

“The Democratic Party is the party of working people, and Milwaukee is a city of working people. We saw in this last election what we can accomplish when we come together, invest, and fight for working people, and that was proven right here in Wisconsin,” he added in the DNC’s statement.

Perez, who is expected to attend a press conference to formally announce the selection Monday afternoon in Milwaukee, has ties to the city and Wisconsin.

Perez and his wife were married in Milwaukee, and one of their daughters is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Perez’s wife, Ann Marie Staudenmaier, is also from Wisconsin, according to the newspaper.

Martha Laning, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said in a statement that the party “couldn’t be more thrilled” about the selection of Milwaukee, according to madison.com.

“From its breweries to its strong working-class roots, Milwaukee is a vibrant city that represents so much of what makes our nation great,” Laning added. “We’re proud to be able to share our great city with the nation, and we can’t wait to welcome Democrats next July.” 

Updated at 1:02 p.m.