Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson are once again wooing top Democratic leaders this week as they try to position Chicago to land one of the next two Democratic National Conventions.
This time around, the Democratic National Committee asked cities to submit bids for both the 2028 and 2032 conventions — mirroring a process Republicans have in place for their conventions. Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Denver and Philadelphia are finalists.
The Chicago 2028 Host Committee is wrapping up a three-day visit to Chicago, which included a site visit to the United Center — where the 2024 DNC took place — as well as Chicago’s 360 Observation Deck, an architectural boat tour and a pre-public visit to the Obama Presidential Center, which opens to the public on Juneteenth.
DNC Chair Ken Martin appeared with Pritzker and Johnson for a Wednesday morning press conference, but jetted off before taking questions. It’s unclear whether the committee might favor another Democratic city for political reasons. Martin said the process is “a deliberative one,” and called it “an important decision.” Martin said he’s laser-focused on the midterm elections, but would then switch gears to the convention.
The 2024 DNC generated $371 million in economic impact — and the host committee raised $97 million in cash or in-kind contributions and spent $83 million. Pritzker gave $2.6 million and First Lady MK Pritzker donated $3 million. Of the $83 million reported in expenditures by the host committee, Development Now for Chicago, a total of $49 million was paid to Chicago-based businesses. Another $7 million went to firms based elsewhere in Illinois. The 2024 convention carried no debt to the city, the state or the DNC, and that’s being viewed as a big selling point for Democratic leaders involved in the process.
Pritzker was largely credited with helping to land the 2024 convention, and seemed to enjoy a huge spotlight brought on the city as its social chair of sorts. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot were also instrumental in securing the bid — but Johnson won his mayoral bid a mere week before Chicago won the convention. Johnson has not yet announced whether he’s seeking reelection, so it’s unclear whether he’ll be in office for a potential 2028 convention.
Pritzker, who is exploring his own 2028 presidential bid, said he would once again contribute if Chicago secured the convention, but he would not specify an amount.
“I’m sure that I will contribute. I don’t know what the amount would be. I mean, I’m a supporter of the convention,” Pritzker said. “By the way, I’ll probably contribute some amount to, as I do always, to the DNC. But I want this convention here, and I want to support it when it comes here.”
Pritzker on Wednesday also downplayed the role either his presidential bid — or that of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s — would play in a 2028 convention.
“I think the convention, as you know, is long after any Democratic primaries, so I don’t think it plays any role at all,” Pritzker said. “But I also think that, once again, you know, being from the greatest big city in the entire country is an advantage for anybody that comes from this city.”
The Democratic has been held back-to-back in Chicago before — including in 1940 and 1944 when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was nominated, as well as in 1952 and 1956 when Adlai Stevenson was nominated.
Both Johnson and Pritzker said Chicagoans’ response to the Trump administration’s targeted immigration operations, including Operation Midway Blitz, serve as proof of the city’s Democratic values.
“We’ve developed the blueprint to resist the Trump administration, and we are providing the model for the rest of the country to follow,” Johnson said. “…By organizing, advocating, and holding true to our values, we’re providing and proving that when ordinary people stand up with courage, conviction and compassion to fight for what is right, there’s nothing this country cannot achieve.”
Pritzker said the city doesn’t let “invaders harass and kidnap our neighbors, our friends, our families.”
“We [Chicagoans] don’t bend the knee to any kings, and we don’t sit idly by while our constitutional republic is under threat,” Pritzker said. “To turn this country and win the White House, we need to reintroduce American families to a Democratic Party that is ready to stand up and fight for them.”
Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter said there are lessons learned from the 2024 DNC, including how to efficiently build tents, structures and staging and “to make sure that there’s the least amount of disruption to the people who live in the city as possible.”
“We look at the NASCAR Chicago street race. Every year, that build got quicker and more efficient,” Reiter said. “And I think we’d want to make sure that we did the same thing for the DNC.”