Houston to host 2028 GOP convention
Ronna McDaniel, the GOP chairwoman, speaks during the Republican National Committee winter meeting Friday. Image via AP.

ronna mcdaniel gop
Republicans plan on Texas event.

Republicans on Friday chose Houston to host their 2028 national convention, hoping to cement support in Texas even as Democrats are betting that a booming Hispanic population and other key demographic shifts could eventually turn the country’s largest reliably red state blue.

“I am excited to announce Houston as the host city for the 2028 Republican National Convention,” Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. She applauded the committee’s “smart business decision” last spring to allow for selecting the site “earlier than ever.”

Houston is the United States’ fourth largest city and is among its fastest growing, with a population exceeding 2.3 million. It was for decades a Republican stronghold, the home turf of President George H.W. Bush and the site of the Republican convention that nominated him for reelection in 1992.

But the city has since become solidly Democratic, with the party sweeping every countywide seat in Harris County, which includes Houston, in 2016. In a reflection of the change, McDaniel’s statement listed among the officials Republicans are “eager to work with” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a former state lawmaker who was once a leading Democratic voice in the Texas House.

“As the nation’s most diverse and inclusive city, we believe Houston represents the future of the United States and our aspirations as a country,” Turner said in a statement released by the RNC.

Houston’s blue shift is a departure from the rest of Texas, which hasn’t supported a Democrat for president since Jimmy Carter in 1976 and where Republicans have won every statewide office since 1994 — the longest political winning streak in the nation. Still, Texas is now more than 40% Hispanic, and its strong economy has brought in many new residents from more liberal states.

Both factors have Democrats dreaming about flipping Texas, which would drastically alter the nation’s political landscape.

Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke came within 3 percentage points of upsetting Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018, though then-President Donald Trump carried Texas by a larger margin of about 5.5 percentage points in 2020. Democrats are hoping to knock off Cruz in next year’s Senate race with a primary field that includes Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker who was elected to a once strongly red Dallas district.

Texas nonetheless remains “the heart of the conservative movement,” Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said in a social media post on Friday. His party’s retrenching there reflects a different strategy than next year, when the GOP will hold its convention in Milwaukee, in the critical swing state of Wisconsin.

Democrats haven’t yet selected their 2028 national convention site. But the Democratic National Committee considered Houston along with New York and Atlanta before settling on Chicago for its 2024 convention, underscoring the importance of the battleground Midwest.

Associated Press


2 comments

  • Earl Pitts "The Ronald's Un-Official Campaign Manager 2024/2028" American

    August 31, 2023 at 4:12 pm

    Good afternoon America,
    With all thats being thrown at you politically it almost feels like a “Politics Overdose” sombody stab me with some “Political Narcan” sort of feeling ya know.
    Yeah I, Earl Pitts American know.
    Important Reminder:
    Anyway just a quick reminder to set your Calandar and make your reservations for accomidations early in Houston for the glorious re-election of Ron Desantis in 2028.
    You know I, Earl Pitts American, will be running the show in the finest Houston rooftop lounge for all my members of The Earl Pitts American Fan Club.
    2028 its a date in Houston.
    Heck America its worth it just to get your pic taken with me, Earl Pitts American. Your Grandchildern will be so proud and jellous of seeing you standing right there next to me.
    Thank you America,
    Earl Pitts “Political Super Star” American

    • Earl Pitts "The Ronald's Un-Official Campaign Manager 2024/2028" American

      August 31, 2023 at 4:23 pm

      ps America I’ve already secured my hotel rooms and roof-top lounge reseservations for 2028.
      The hotels should open reservations for the general public about 3 years prior to the convention as is common practice in the hospitality industry.
      EPA

Comments are closed.


#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Jesse Scheckner, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704