CHICAGO — While Republicans will have a heavy presence in Milwaukee next summer, Democrats will be playing it close with their own convention in the Midwest.
TMJ4's Chief Political Reporter Charles Benson traveled to Chicago to see how the city is preparing for the Democratic National Convention.
A month after the Republicans wrap up their convention at Fiserv Forum - Democrats will be settling in for their convention at the United Center in Chicago.
In a city of 2.7 million people, 50,000 visitors for the Aug. 19-22 convention is a big deal in the blue state.
Greg Wade can't wait. The Wisconsin native, now managing partner of Publican Quality Bread near the United Center, sees it as another hometown win.
"We're super excited about it. We're really good at making a bunch of bread and baked goods," said Wade. "We're just going to plan for it and have a bunch of great stuff out throughout the morning and then throughout the day, encourage people to come by."
Chicago holds the record for hosting more national political conventions for a major party than any other city - it's not even close. Next year will be number 26 with 12 of them being for Democrats.
Food trucks lined up near Millennium Park love the summer tourist season, but next summer will be even busier when Democrats arrive.
Chicago and Milwaukee are separated by 90 miles along the stunning shores of Lake Michigan, but the two political conventions will seem like worlds apart in 2024.
"I think the stakes are very, very high, and I'm proud that it's in the Midwest; although, I wish it could have been in Milwaukee," said Congresswoman Gwen Moore.
She is a veteran of political conventions. Milwaukee did not get to hold the convention it wanted in 2020 because of the pandemic, but she hopes Milwaukee was the start of a tradition that will continue in Chicago.
Democrats produced a 30-minute virtual tour across America for the all-important roll call of states, when each state announces its choice for the presidential nominee. Wisconsin's own Jason Rae led the 2020 roll call.
"No more boring roll call from the floor," said Moore. "That's going to be a production, probably in both of these conventions. We call that the 'Jason Rae Roll Call' named after the Secretary of the Democratic National Committee, but also a resident of Wisconsin."
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