Global Courant 2023-04-14 00:24:06
Georgia Democrats were reportedly angry that Atlanta was rejected over Chicago as the Democratic National Committee’s choice for the 2024 convention.
“It kind of feels like a slap in the face,” a Georgia Democratic operative told The Hill. “You know, there’s a lot that goes into it — hotels and transportation and stuff. But there’s also the symbolism to consider, and I think it would have been a strong statement to say, ‘Hey, Georgia took care of us, and we don’t take that for granted.'”
The party reportedly received $20 million in financial pledges from donors and companies to keep the DNC in Atlanta, arguing that Georgia, which has become a major battlefield state in recent years, has played a critical role in securing the Democratic power in Washington, DC. chairman of the Georgia Democratic Party, Rep. Nikema Williams, said she was disappointed that Atlanta had been overlooked, but said her state “would remain the center of the political universe in 2024.”
“Driven by the strength of our highly diverse coalition of voters, Georgia has become the most important battlefield state in the country, delivering historic victories for Democrats and changing the trajectory of our entire nation,” Williams said. “Georgia represents the future of the Democratic Party — and we will continue to invest in that future by committing to vote Democrats up and down in 2024.”
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More than 65 current and former Democratic federal, state and local officials in the South told President Biden in a January letter that “everything we have accomplished as a party since January 2021 can be traced back to Georgia, and specifically to the metro Atlanta. area that swung the state in our favor.”
Branding for the Democratic National Convention is displayed on the scoreboard at the United Center on April 11, 2023 in Chicago. Georgia Democrats reportedly felt slighted that the DNC did not choose Atlanta. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“Democratic turnout in the state of Georgia is the main reason you and Vice President Harris are in the White House today instead of Donald Trump, and it is the main reason the Democrats have maintained a majority in the United States Senate “, he said. said the letter.
Back-to-back victories for U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both Democrats representing Georgia, secured the party’s control of the upper chamber of Congress. Biden also won Georgia in the 2020 election, marking the first time since 1992 that a Democratic presidential candidate has won Peach state.
“In 2020 and again in 2022, Georgia proved our status as a major battlefield state, and every candidate, campaign or political party should keep that in mind as we move into next year,” said Kendra Cotton, the CEO of the New Georgia Project Action. Fund, told The Hill, adding that she was “disappointed” with the DNC’s choice of Chicago.
Georgia Democratic U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff’s victories helped secure Democratic control of the Senate. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The Democratic National Committee announced Tuesday that it will host the 2024 convention in Chicago. Wednesday at a press conference. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who pledged to contribute to a portion of the congressional costs, which could reach $90 million, described Chicago as the “ideal” location for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
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“A convention in Chicago, the center of the blue wall of key states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota, will demonstrate that Democrats don’t take this region for granted, that it is key to victory in 2024,” Pritzker said. the Chicago Tribune. “Illinois is home to a bustling metropolis, strong rural tradition, thriving suburbs, not to mention a long history rooted in civil and labor rights and reproductive rights.”
The AFL-CIO, in a letter to Democratic senior leaders, argued against holding the convention in Atlanta, citing the lack of union-backed hotels to accommodate visitors.
Senator Raphael Warnock greets President Joe Biden at a worship service in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 2023, ahead of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Despite Warnock’s victory in Georgia, the DNC chose to host the 2024 convention in Illinois. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
“This is nowhere near enough to meet the needs of the delegates. Union delegates and guests who deliberately choose union hotels would have to compete for limited rooms. Not every state delegate and visitor who wants to show solidarity with the workers would be able to to do this. so,” the letter reads. “We are proud to represent members in Georgia and recognize the great cultural and political value of Atlanta, as well as its civil rights legacy and ongoing racial justice work led by activists across the state. having many union hotels for a Democratic convention is well known, and the city has done nothing during its long convention to address the problem.”
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The union drew criticism over the letter, including from a Democrat who accused the AFL-CIO, the country’s largest union, “punishing people who work very hard for the Democratic Party” because the largely Republican-controlled legislature “really crushed the union”. movement.”
“To say that because the city of Atlanta hasn’t done enough to magically create unions or union hotels overnight that they should be disqualified is just insulting,” the Georgia Democrat told The Hill. “It’s offensive to organizers in the South who live in states where Republicans want to destroy the union movement.”
Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, police and more. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on Twitter: @danimwallace.
