Philadelphia, Not Columbus Will Host Democrats in 2016

Democrats have picked Philadelphia as the site of their 2016 national convention. The decision dashes the hopes of Central Ohio political and business leaders who made a huge push to host the convention in Columbus. It's a patriotic backdrop for the nomination of the party's next presidential candidate. The Democratic National Committee says the convention will be held the week of July 25, 2016. The other finalist for the convention was Brooklyn, New York. Columbus leaders were hoping the city's compact downtown convention area and Ohio's status as a pivotal swing state would lure Democrats to Nationwide Arena. Democratic Party Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz made the announcement. “In addition to their commitment to a seamless and safe convention, Philadelphia’s deep rooted place in American history provides a perfect setting for this special gathering," said Wasserman in a statement. "I cannot wait to join Democrats across the country to celebrate our shared values, lay out a Democratic vision for the future, and support our nominee. Philadelphia could serve as a passing of the baton from President Barack Obama to Hillary Rodham Clinton, the leading contender for the party's nomination should she run for president, as is widely expected. Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter celebrated the news. "We believe that it was our proven track record of hosting big events safely and efficiently with a dynamic team of top-tier professionals to organize and manage a conference of this magnitude, paired with our City’s tremendous amenities, its accessible location and historical significance, which made Philadelphia the ideal choice for the 2016 DNC," Nutter said in a statement. Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman congratulated Philadelphia and said, "Columbus continues to be proud of the collaborative effort we put forth for the incredible opportunity to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention. While we were not successful this time around, we will be back in 2020 in hopes of landing a political convention in our city.” Ohio's Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown said today he thinks the reason his party chose Philadelphia over Columbus came down to the ability to raise the money needed to pay for the convention. "As much as the business community in Columbus, Mayor Coleman and others stepped up, I think the national party was concerned about how much the city of Columbus and the business community, private and public, would be able to raise." The Democratic National Committee required cities in the running for next year's convention to raise 60-million dollars. So, Columbus had raised only 30-million. The Democrats' convention will come the week after Republicans meet in Cleveland. Hear WOSU's Marilyn Smith's conversation with Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio.