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Denver was cemented in history when it hosted the 2008 Democratic National Convention, providing the stage where Barack Obama won the party’s nomination for president. Twenty years later, the Mile High City could once again be placed at the epicenter of American politics.
After months of whispered reports, Mayor Mike Johnston’s office confirmed on Friday, January 9, that Denver has submitted a bid to host the next Democratic National Convention in 2028.
“We look forward to taking part in what is expected to be a very competitive process and will share more information as we are able,” says mayoral spokesperson Jon Ewing.
The DNC is held in a different city every four years, gathering thousands of delegates from across the nation to select the party’s presidential and vice presidential nominees. In 2028, the convention will determine which Democrats attempt to retake the White House after Republican President Donald Trump’s second term concludes.
“There’s no better way for the party to find its path back to power than by returning to the state that nominated President Barack Obama twenty years ago,” Shad Murib, chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, told Westword in October.
The DNC has only been held in Denver twice before: in 2008 and in 1908, when William Jennings Bryan was nominated. In 2018, Denver reportedly pulled its name off the short list for the 2020 DNC, because the convention dates clashed with upcoming event schedules. In 2014, the city was a semifinalist for the 2016 Republican National Convention, which has never been held in Colorado.
In 2008, then-Mayor John Hickenlooper reported that the DNC resulted in a regional economic benefit of $266 million, including $154 million in Denver. Officials expect a greater economic impact in 2028; Chicago reported an economic benefit of $371 million in 2024.
Elbra Wedgeworth, who spearheaded the effort to bring the 2008 DNC to Denver, calls being selected as a convention site a tremendous honor and opportunity.
“It means that we are on the map politically,” Wedgeworth says. “[In 2008,] it was about the new West. It was not only about Colorado, but also about our surrounding states. We are not flyover states, we have significance. …We had all these people, not only from across the country, but across the world, who were here visiting us.”
Denver joins other hopefuls, including New Orleans and San Antonio, in its push to host the 2028 DNC.
Only five cities have ever hosted the DNC more than twice: Chicago (twelve times), Baltimore (nine), New York City (five), St. Louis (four) and Philadelphia (three).
Based on previous release dates, the DNC is expected to publicly announce its 2028 host city in early 2027.
