Democrats pick Philadelphia for 2016 convention

Catalina Camia | USA TODAY

The Liberty Bell proved magnetic for Democrats, who announced Thursday the party is headed to Philadelphia for its 2016 nominating convention.

The Pennsylvania city, which beat out finalists New York City and Columbus, Ohio, last hosted a national party convention when the Republicans nominated George W. Bush there in 2000.

To woo the Democratic National Committee, city organizers pledged to raise $84 million to host the event, and during a DNC site visit let Wasserman Schultz touch the Liberty Bell -- with gloves on.

"That was an absolutely incredible experience,'' Wasserman Schultz said. But the city won the convention because of its plan for "logistics, security and resources,''to put on "a seamless and safe convention,''

The Democrats have set the week of July 25 for events leading to the introduction of its next presidential nominee. The Democratic confab will be right after Republicans meet in Cleveland from July 18-21.

Philadelphia organizers already have $12 million in pledges for convention finance, said Ed Rendell, former Philadelphia mayor, Pennsylvania governor and DNC chair, who worked on the city's bid.

Mayor Michael Nutter, a Democrat, said Philadelphia won the convention thanks to "our proven track record of hosting big events safely and efficiently ... paired with our city's tremendous amenities, its accessible location and historical significance.'' Pope Francis will visit Philadelphia in September as part of his first trip to the United States.

Convention organizers typically place a premium on logistics, including fundraising to underwrite the event, the availability of hotel rooms and a venue with enough seating and skyboxes to accommodate delegates and news media. Democrats also told competing cities that strong ties to labor unions — a key constituency — would be a priority.

Since the 2000 GOP convention -- for which the city raised $64 million -- the number of hotel rooms in the city has increased, the city's convention center has been enlarged, and new baseball and football stadiums have been built, Nutter said. "Philadelphia is just a different place.''

Hosting a convention can be a lucrative proposition for cities, despite enormous challenges of fundraising, housing, security and transportation. In 2012, the Democratic convention in Charlotte had an estimated economic impact of nearly $164 million, according to a report commissioned by the North Carolina city tourism agency.

Philadelphia will host 2016 Democratic Convention Philadelphians react to the news that the 2016 Democratic Convention will be hosted by Philadelphia.

The politics of a host city or state are often highlighted in the selection process, such as Ohio's role as a major presidential swing state. While Philadelphia hasn't hosted the Democratic convention since 1948, the state has voted for the Democratic nominee in seven of the last 10 presidential elections; the last Republican nominee to win the state was George H.W. Bush in 1988.

New York's loss in the bidding is a blow for Mayor Bill de Blasio, who had led the charge to bring the Democrats to Brooklyn, his home borough. De Blasio said Thursday he'd "consider" bidding for the 2020 gathering. "Sometimes you play the game right, and another team still wins.''

In Columbus, Brian Ross of the city's convention bureau pointed out that the swing state of Ohio will remain a center of the action during the presidential campaign -- a claim Pennsylvania and New York can't necessarily make. "We are prepared to welcome the waves of reporters and analysts who will visit Columbus during this election cycle," he said.