A team of national Democratic Party officials met Thursday with Atlanta leaders to scope out whether State Farm Arena — which has been used for basketball games, pop concerts and early voting — could be transformed into the host site of the next Democratic National Convention.
The group, which included the chair of the Democratic National Committee, toured the arena from the floor to the nosebleed section to determine whether it would be the best location for the 2024 nominating convention, which would bring tens of thousands of people to Atlanta. It was one of several stops the group is making across the city Thursday and Friday.
“I saw a lot of eyes light up, a lot of excitement,” Mayor Andre Dickens said. “We wanted to show them a lot of Southern hospitality.”
Atlanta made a bid for the convention in May, and it is battling three other rivals — Chicago, Houston and New York City — for the right to host. Wearing “Atlanta Influences Everything” shirts, Atlanta officials said Thursday that the city’s civil rights history and position at the center of the political spotlight make it the best choice for the convention.
Ben Gray
Ben Gray
The push for the convention has the full support of key leaders, including the mayor and U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, who chairs the state Democratic Party.
“Georgia has something to prove, and the South has something to say,” Williams said.
After the party’s in-person nominating convention was downsized in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, DNC Chair Jamie Harrison said the committee is looking for a city that can provide a seamless “turnkey operation” that gives delegates, donors and the media a positive convention experience. He spoke highly of the city’s role at the heart of one of the most politically competitive states in the nation.
“Atlanta is a city that represents the Democratic Party’s values: diversity, inclusion and opportunity,” Harrison said. “The Democratic Party owes Georgia a whole lot.”
Local officials see the convention not just as a chance for Atlanta to shine on the national stage, but also as an economic boon that would bring nearly 5,000 delegates and as many as 45,000 other people to the city for a four-night bash to celebrate the Democratic ticket.
On a practical level, Dickens said the city’s hotels, airport and restaurants provide an “all-in-one solution” for what the party seeks. And then there’s the arena.
“As you can see, it’s a brand-new building,” Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said as he guided the DNC group onto the floor, pointing out features of the recently renovated venue. The arena’s massive Jumbotron was lowered, and a red, white and blue “ATL D24″ logo plastered the screens surrounding the building.
Georgia Democrats are also competing with rival states for another distinction. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported months ago that party officials seek a coveted spot as one of the earliest states to vote in the 2024 presidential primary.
The city hosted the Democratic nominating convention in 1988, when Michael Dukakis was officially minted as the party’s presidential nominee. Back then, the state was a solidly Democratic bastion.
After decades of Republican rule, voters in 2020 made Georgia one of the nation’s premier political battlegrounds. Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential nominee to carry the state since 1992, and Democrats swept the U.S. Senate runoffs to take control of the chamber.
Thursday’s event was one of the rare moments when the jockeying for the convention emerged in public — the city even lit up the airport and City Hall in blue to welcome the party leaders.
The private maneuvering is usually frenetic, with high-profile politicians enlisted to personally lobby decision-makers behind the scenes to build Atlanta’s case. Dickens said he’s called about 20 corporate business leaders who have pledged their support if Atlanta is chosen.
Harrison said the party hopes to make its choice by the end of the year or early in 2023.
