{"id":1013182,"date":"2026-08-20T17:17:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T17:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1013182\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T17:17:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T17:17:22","slug":"no-democratic-national-convention-repeat-for-chicago-in-2028","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1013182\/","title":{"rendered":"No Democratic National Convention repeat for Chicago in 2028"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Democratic National Convention<\/a> will not return to Chicago in 2028, dashing hopes for the first United Center repeat since the Michael Jordan-era Bulls and delivering an election-year loss to Gov. JB Pritzker.<\/p>\n

The Democratic National Committee announced early Thursday<\/a> that it had narrowed its list of potential host cities for the party\u2019s Aug. 7-10, 2028, presidential nominating convention to 2004 host Boston, 2008 host Denver and 2016 host Philadelphia, eliminating Atlanta and Chicago, the host of the 2024 convention, from contention.<\/p>\n

Chicago\u2019s elimination came just five days after the national party announced that Illinois would not be among the states holding the earliest Democratic presidential primaries<\/a> in 2028. The Illinois Democratic Party, of which Pritzker is the de facto head and largest funder, campaigned for the state to move into the early window, with the governor and his allies touting<\/a> demographics that closely mirror the nation as a whole.<\/p>\n

Hosting the convention and holding an early primary both could have helped Pritzker, who is running in the November election for a rare third term as governor, if he decides to make a bid for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.<\/p>\n

Pritzker, along with his wife, MK, shelled out $5.6 million from a trust fund to support the 2024 convention \u2014 a contribution that accounted for nearly 6% of the $97 million raised<\/a> by that convention\u2019s local host committee. It\u2019s not the first time he\u2019s opened his wallet for the party\u2019s biggest stage. An ardent supporter of 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Pritzker gave $1.25 million to the host committee for that year\u2019s DNC in Philadelphia, making him the largest individual donor, according to federal campaign finance disclosures.<\/p>\n

While it may have surprised some that Chicago was among the final five contenders for the 2028 DNC, the number of cities that are a good fit for the party is limited because there are few cities with strong union roots and enough hotel rooms to accommodate the thousands who attend.<\/p>\n

Pritzker\u2019s campaign had no immediate comment on Chicago being out of the running for the next convention.<\/p>\n

\"MembersMembers of a tour group, which includes Democratic National Convention leadership, arrive to view the United Center as a possible location for the 2028 DNC, on May 12, 2026. (Josh Boland\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the national committee did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the convention selection process, and a social media statement from DNC Chair Ken Martin did not say why the three finalists were chosen.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach city presented strong bids to host an inspiring celebration of our party\u2019s future nominee and a critical step on our path to retaking the White House,\u201d Martin said in a post announcing the winnowing<\/a>. \u201cWe look forward to continuing to work with them as the DNC makes a final selection over the coming months.\u201d<\/p>\n

The possibility remains that the convention will return to Chicago in 2032, as the local host committee has also put in a bid for the subsequent party gathering.<\/p>\n

\u201cChicago is proud to have hosted the best Democratic National Convention in history, and we were honored to raise our hand once again to be considered for 2028,\u201d Emily Soong, a spokesperson for the Chicago 2028 Bid Committee, said in a statement. \u201cWe are deeply committed to the success of the next convention, and we are all-in to support whichever host city is selected in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

The host committee was operating on leftover funds\u00a0from its 2024 fundraising efforts and hadn\u2019t begun actively raising money for a potential 2028 convention.<\/p>\n

When DNC officials visited Chicago in May<\/a> as part of the selection process, Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson trumpeted what was widely viewed as a successful 2024 convention and expressed optimism that a repeat would be similarly successful despite the need to coordinate with Republican President Donald Trump\u2019s administration. The president has made Chicago and Illinois top targets throughout his political career, and some of that rhetoric became reality with last fall\u2019s militarized immigration enforcement campaign known as Operation Midway Blitz<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a statement Thursday morning, Johnson thanked the DNC for considering the city and called the 2024 convention a \u201ctremendous success.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChicago has proven time and again that it can successfully host major events on a world stage, and we remain a strong contender to host the 2032 convention,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

Ald. Walter \u201cRed\u201d Burnett, 27th, whose ward includes the United Center, wasn\u2019t fazed by the news but said he \u201cwould have never expected\u201d the finalist cities.<\/p>\n