Dems Pick Philly For 2016 Convention!

Next year is an important one in American politics, as the country will elect a new president. President Obama, having served two terms, can’t run again, and so we get to go through all the drama and hype of both major political parties picking a brand-new nominee. Philadelphia will play a big part in that process, as the city was just chosen to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC) late next July, at which the Democratic Party will select its candidate.

Confetti rains on Barack Obama during the 2012 DNC, during which he accepted the party’s official nomination for president for the second time.

Pennsylvania has swung Democratic in the last six presidential elections, making it a receptive home for the party. And, of course, as Debbie Wasserman Schultz (the DNC chairperson) pointed out, “the role of Philadelphia in shaping our nation’s history is unmatched.” With the Liberty Bell and the Declaration of Independence in the same city, there will certainly be a patriotic backdrop for the events.

The Dems are planning on holding most of their events at the Wells Fargo Center, a complex that includes the home fields of baseball’s Philadelphia Phillies and the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. Democrats will, as a result, have the option of using either open-air or enclosed indoor spaces for their gatherings. Select other events will be held at the Convention Center.

Philadelphia is no novice to holding big events – it hosted the Republican National Convention in 2000 and will, later this year, serve as the site of the Pope’s first official visit to the United States in an event expected to draw millions into the city.

It’s believed that the 2016 DNC will see Hillary Clinton awarded the Democratic nomination if she chooses to run again for president.