(WSVN) - Members of the Democratic National Committee toured South Florida to consider a site for their 2020 convention.
South Florida mayors are hoping it’ll be held here.
“It puts us on the national and international spotlight,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
Miami and Miami Beach are both combined as finalists for the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
“The 2020 national convention is about the future,” said DNC consultant Jess O’Donnell. “The convention city will host the largest, most important stage for Democrats to showcase our vision of our future for the country.”
DNC decision makers toured the City of Miami and Miami Beach to get a glimpse of what South Florida has to offer, Wednesday afternoon.
“I want to make sure they have an opportunity to check out how special our county, our whole community is,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giménez.
Florida is expected to be a key battle ground state in the upcoming 2020 presidential election. The convention is expected to bring more than 30,000 visitors to the Miami area, which will make it one of the biggest events in Miami-Dade.
If chosen, it would mark the first time in nearly 50 years that South Florida will host a major political convention. This dates back to the contentious and Vietnam-war-protest-driven Republican and Democratic conventions in the early ’70s.
“It was such a different time. It was historical, frankly,” said Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, “and so long in the past, but what it will be in this time is a moment for us to show the world, and more importantly, our country that we can all get along.”
In 2016, then candidate Donald Trump, received his party’s nomination at the RNC in Ohio.
At the Democratic National Convention, which was held in Philadelphia, Hilary Clinton got on her party’s ticket.
Now Miami is pitching plans to the Democrats to host the party’s party in our area.
“We’re the most diverse city in the world; we’re a global city,” Suarez said, “and Miami is the place to be. You gotta come here.”
If selected, the American Airlines Arena would be the site for the actual convention, while other events would take place at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Miami is one of three finalists. The other two are Houston and Milwaukee.
Democrats expect to make a final decision early next year.
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