Please mark your calendars, Chicagoans: The 2024 Democratic National is coming to our town!
On Tuesday, it was announced that Chicago was selected to host the Democratic Party’s next national convention, during which it will officially name its nominee. Chicago beat out competing bids from New York City and Atlanta for this top honor.
I could not be more proud or excited by this news.
As a Democrat, I am thrilled that my party and president — who is, at this point, the presumptive 2024 nominee — have chosen my beloved city to host such an important event.
The Convention’s True Impact on Chicago
And as a Chicagoan dedicated to serving my community, I am very enthusiastic about all the opportunities this major event will bring.
Thousands of vendors, including Black-owned businesses, will benefit from the massive influx of visitors who will descend upon Chicago during the week of the convention. Those vendors include but are certainly not limited to our vibrant hotels and restaurants and artists and merchandise makers who will undoubtedly draw thousands of new customers during convention week next August.
After the devastating economic impact of the pandemic, this surge for Chicago businesses, particularly small businesses, will be a crucial component of our city’s continuing rebuilding efforts.
The Midwest’s Value to the Democratic Party
The symbolic significance of Chicago’s selection as the DNC’s 2024 convention site cannot be overstated.
While Illinois is not technically a swing state, it is part of that fabled “Blue Wall” of states that have been, and continue to be, essential to Democrats’ White House prospects in the modern era.
While the Electoral College has a very controversial reputation (and, in my opinion, rightfully earned), it is presumably here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. And the path to the White House runs through the Midwest.
It was how Donald Trump obtained enough electoral votes to gain access to the White House, despite losing to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by millions in the popular vote. And it’s how President Joe Biden took it back from him four years later.
Illinois is very much a midwestern state. And we are playing a pivotal role in paving the way for a brighter future for our nation.
We proved this by sending President Obama — our nation’s first Black president — to the Senate and the White House.
We reaffirmed this reputation by helping his Vice President defeat Trump in 2020.
And we reaffirmed our forward-moving Democratic power again just last week when we elected Brandon Johnson to be the next Mayor of Chicago, which defied the cynical prognostications of pundits and the millions poured into the race against him by right-wing special interest groups, many of whom had been weaponizing racially charged, dog-whistled messaging against the newly-elected mayor.
While we do not yet know how 2024 will turn out politically, Chicago’s selection as the site of the next Democratic National Convention is a perfect place to start for both the organizers and party activists who will drive the next set of campaigns.
It also bodes well for the future of its host city and its significance, both historical and in terms of our long-term and immediate future.
I am already looking forward to next August 19-22.
So, mark your calendars, Chicago. It’s going to be an epic and truly historic event!
