Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Politics:

Las Vegas named finalist for 2016 Republican convention

Aerial View of the High Roller

Tom Donoghue / DonoghuePhotography.com

An aerial view of the High Roller at the Linq on Monday, March 31, 2014, on the Strip.

The Republican National Committee has winnowed its list of potential convention hosts to six and Las Vegas is still in the running.

Las Vegas will soon host “a small team of RNC staff … for a more in-depth and technical look at financing, convention venues, media workspace and hotels,” according to a committee statement. The five other finalists are: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver and Kansas City, Mo. Columbus and Phoenix did not make the cut.

“In any other year, Columbus and Phoenix could have topped the list, but with so many strong cities competing, the committee had to make the difficult decision to narrow the field,” Erin Mickelsen, chairwoman of the site selection committee, said in a statement Wednesday. “The eyes of the world will be on the RNC and our host city in the summer of 2016, and these six cities have shown they have what it takes to move forward.”

Las Vegas has pitched itself as an experienced convention host with plenty of hotel rooms and a diverse, affordable and entertaining city in a swing state.

Last month, the committee met with eight cities seeking to host the 2016 convention. Las Vegas emerged from its March 21 meeting feeling optimistic about its chances.

In the past, the group's site selection committee makes its final pick before the Republican National Committee's August meeting. Mickelsen said earlier this year, however, that the committee might recommend two cities and leave it to the RNC to decide.

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