THE MAGNIFICENT MILE (WBBM Newsradio) -- City and state leaders brought the head of the Democratic National Committee to the literal top of Chicago, to drive home the city's case to bring the party's Presidential nominating convention back in 2028.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson welcomed DNC chair Ken Martin on Wednesday to the "360Chicago" observation deck, 875 N. Michigan Ave., as part of the party's visit to the city. Representatives have toured the city since Monday, taking in sights including the soon-to-open Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park.
"This is a remarkable city," Martin told reporters during the update at the top of the former John Hancock Building, saying the 2024 DNC in Chicago was the most successful in the party's history, and that he was "very grateful" for the city's interest in hosting the party again.
"We're glad to welcome you back," said the mayor during his introduction of Martin, during which he also noted the city's high-profile resistance to the Trump Administration's stepped-up immigration enforcement as a potential factor in the party's site selection process. "Chicagoans have shown the world what our country can be at its very best," he said.
Gov. Pritzker, whose appearance at the DNC event was his first public outing since having an outpatient medical procedure nearly two weeks previous, said the DNC site visit felt like "a fabulous reunion," and suggested that bringing the convention back to Chicago would be good for the party and its attendees.
"Delegates and visitors loved being here," recalled the governor, whose own potential Presidential ambitions could wind up being a subplot to the party's considerations.
Atlanta, Boston, Denver and Philadelphia have also submitted bids to host the convention. It's not clear when the party will announce its selection.
Local Democrats push to bring 2028 convention back to city
Local Democrats push to bring 2028 convention back to city
