Milwaukee City Wire

The Republican National Convention site selection committee unanimously selected Milwaukee as the site for the 2024 convention.

Milwaukee beat out primary challenger Nashville, Tennessee, which Fox 11 reports was previously thought to be the frontrunner.

“We are one step closer to hosting the GOP’s 2024 national convention,” Milwaukee Mayor, Cavalier Johnson, said in a tweet July 15. “This is good news for Milwaukee hospitality workers who’ve been hit hard by COVID. While I take issue with the Republican platform, we will be good hosts.”

Even with Milwaukee being a longtime democratic stronghold and some citizens openly expressing their discontent with the idea of GOP leaders convening there, Johnson said he is excited about the level of commerce and tourism the gathering could bring to the state, despite his disagreements with the political party, Fox 11 reported.

The decision on which city will host the convention will come during the week of August 2-5 in Chicago. Milwaukee was tabbed by Democrats to host the 2020 convention, but the coronavirus pandemic forced that gathering to be held nearly entirely online, with President Joe Biden ultimately accepting the nomination in Delaware.

City leaders believe their preparations for that convention put them in the best position to host a similar event, albeit for the other side, according to Fox 11.

Wisconsin could also be critical to the 2024 election, while Tennessee has not backed a Democrat for president since 1996, Fox 11 reported. Over the past two decades, Republicans have placed their nominating convention in swing states, including North Carolina, Ohio, and Florida.

Nashville likely fell out of its front-runner status because local officials expressed concerns over safety and cost, according to WSAU. Meanwhile, some officials in Milwaukee expressed apprehension about hosting the same political party that caused the Jan. 6 incident in Washington.