Denver is among three cities still under consideration for the Democrats’ 2028 presidential convention after the party on Thursday narrowed its list of potential host sites, looking ahead to a wide-open primary to succeed President Donald Trump.
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Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement that Denver, Boston and Philadelphia put forward “incredibly strong bids,” and he promised the convention would be an “inspiring celebration of our party’s future nominee.”
A final decision is expected to be made later this year by party leaders. Republicans have already chosen Houston for the site of their 2028 convention.
Presidential nominating conventions, which happen every four years, are where Democratic and Republican party delegates formally select their presidential candidates, rally the base and kickstart the most intense period of campaigning ahead of the general election. The Democratic convention is scheduled for Aug. 7-10, 2028.
The party didn’t specify why Atlanta and Chicago, the site of the 2024 convention, were eliminated. Officials visited all five cities in April and May, considering logistical and fundraising capacity among other factors.
“They found a city that solves hard problems and takes on tough challenges, but also one that knows how to have fun, that’s bound by a sense of community and civic responsibility,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said of the visit in a statement Thursday. “It’s those things that our nation is looking for right now, and we hope they find it in Denver in 2028.”
Denver last hosted the Democratic National Convention in 2008, when then-Sen. Barack Obama accepted his party’s presidential nomination. Johnston said that convention “proved what this city could do” and that hosting it again would be “a tremendous opportunity for everyone who calls Denver home.”
City officials previously said the convention would be an “enormous economic boon for Denver,” bringing 50,000 visitors to the city for four days in August 2028. In 2008, then-Mayor John Hickenlooper estimated the convention created a regional benefit of more than $400 million in today’s dollars.
Hosting the convention would also have costs, with thousands of visitors straining the city’s resources. The 2008 convention brought protests and a heavy police presence.
The 2024 convention in Chicago generated an estimated $200 million in spending, according to the Chicago Tribune. But CBS News Chicago found that the Windy City spent at least $75 million in federal dollars on construction and strengthening its fire and police forces.
Projections for the 2028 convention suggest an impact exceeding $400 million, equivalent to hosting four Super Bowls in one week, according to a news release from the Colorado Democratic Party. That boost in revenue could help Denver’s strained budget, which has triggered layoffs and spending cuts in the past year.
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“Twenty years after Barack Obama accepted our party’s nomination at Mile High, Democrats can return to the west to show the country what comes after Donald Trump: leaders who protect our freedoms, lower costs and give working people a fair shot,” Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib said in a statement.
The Denver Post first reported the city was preparing a bid to host the convention in January, and Denver and Democratic officials publicly confirmed that bid in March.
At that time, Democratic National Committee officials said the party would consider things like the importance of forging a strong partnership between the party and host city and the host city’s Democratic values.
The three finalists are liberal strongholds surrounded by the type of suburban areas that have become increasingly important to the party in recent elections. They also provide access to fundraising and key demographic and interest groups, like labor unions.
While Colorado and Massachusetts have gone Democratic in recent presidential elections, Pennsylvania has been among the biggest battlegrounds. Trump, a Republican, won Pennsylvania in 2024.
Philadelphia last hosted the convention in 2016, and Boston did so in 2004.
Colorado was one of the few states that did not shift to the right during the 2024 election. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris beat now-President Donald Trump in Colorado by roughly 11 percentage points.
Before the presidential primary gets into gear, Democrats are looking at this year’s midterm elections as an opportunity to flip the narrowly divided Republican-led House and maybe take back control of the Senate.
Democrats face fundraising disadvantages compared with Republicans, along with financial debt, and Martin has confronted criticism over his stewardship of the party.
During a recent DNC meeting in Texas, Martin downplayed the critics and called for the party to unite as it tries to win the midterms and look ahead to 2028 and the end of Trump’s second term.
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