Republicans Announce Dates for 2024 Milwaukee Convention
The Grand Old Party will take over Milwaukee in the middle of July.
Site of the upcoming Uncorked: Milwaukee Wine Fest. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
The 2024 Republican National Convention will take place in Milwaukee from Monday, July 15 through Thursday, July 18.
Milwaukee was announced in August as the winner of a two-way race with Nashville to host the convention, but Wednesday’s announcement by the GOP now allows local businesses and hosts to ramp up their planning efforts.
And while the formal convention will place Milwaukee in a national media spotlight for four days, the actual impact is likely to be felt locally for several days before and after as the estimated 45,000 attendees enter and exit the city. Because the actual number of delegates is smaller than for the Democratic National Convention, delegations are expected to all stay within a half-hour drive of Downtown.
“We are excited to announce July 15-18, 2024 as the week Republicans will select our nominee to be the next president of the United States. We look forward to our continued work with the beautiful city of Milwaukee to make this convention week a success. Republicans will stand united in Milwaukee in 2024 to share our message of freedom and opportunity with the world,” said party chair Ronna McDaniel in a statement.
Who the nominee will be, and what the actual message is, remains to be seen. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former president Donald Trump are currently the two leading candidates, though other Republicans are expected to run.
The multi-day event will be held at Fiserv Forum and the expanded Wisconsin Center. The city leveraged what was then a brand-new arena to woo Democrats in 2018. The $456 million Wisconsin Center expansion, to be completed in early 2024, was a key piece of landing the bid this time. Also, key factors were the perceived compact footprint of the convention center and arena and the previously established security plan.
In September, Stephen B. King, Sr. was announced as the host committee’s CEO. King, a former US ambassador and businessman long involved in Wisconsin GOP politics, has been formally involved in every convention but one since 1990.
“We are thrilled to welcome the 2024 Republican National Convention to Milwaukee. Our city is ready to show the world we are open for business, conventions and tourism. The presidential nomination convention is a historical opportunity to present what a phenomenal place Milwaukee truly is,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who is struggling to gain support from state Republican lawmakers to help with the city’s fiscal issues.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
More about the 2024 RNC
- Host Committee Raised $92 Million for RNC in Milwaukee - Evan Casey - Nov 27th, 2024
- Officials Admit RNC Issues, But Say Event Was Success - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 1st, 2024
- Council members seeking information on fatal shooting during RNC, details on convention-related arrests, economic impact - Milwaukee Common Council - Jul 23rd, 2024
- Photo Gallery: Scenes from the RNC - Urban Milwaukee - Jul 19th, 2024
- Hulk Hogan, Kid Rock and Donald Trump, Final Day of RNC Veered All Over - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 19th, 2024
- Trump to Wisconsin – ‘I Am Trying To Buy Your Vote’ - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 18th, 2024
- ‘Everyday American’ Diane Hendricks Touts Trump, Her Life Story in RNC Speech - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 18th, 2024
- Bars and Restaurants See Dramatically Mixed Results For RNC Traffic - Sophie Bolich - Jul 18th, 2024
- Young Republicans Say They’re Ready To Lead Wisconsin GOP - Rich Kremer - Jul 18th, 2024
- RNC Preview – Day 4, Thursday July 18 - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 18th, 2024
Read more about 2024 RNC here
A huge mistake that will give Milwaukee a black eye. Notice how no cities really wanted this. Nashville and Milwaukee? That’s it? Sane people in other cities said no thanks! Who would? A party led by a criminal, traitor, and insurrectionist, based on white supremacy. A party that treats working people like dogs. That treats human life as just another commodity to be bought, sold, or left to die “for the economy.”
Whatever few bucks people will make off this abomination will be offset by the fact it is blood money. If you sell your soul for a few dollars, you deserve the ridicule that will follow. Mayor Dan Hoan would not have let this take place. Inviting people who want to destroy you in to your city is a bad idea and it will become obvious when these cretins show up.
Prostitution in the area will do good. In fact prostitution makes more money at Republican events vs. Democratic ones.
TIme to plan a vacation and hope to god demonstrations do not turn ugly.
Nineteen months and counting. I guess I’m a little surprised by the lack of development motivated by such a major convention.
It’s really nice to see that the Hilton Tempo hotel is moving forward on the old Journal Sentinel parking lot. Get rid of that surface parking! And, despite my opposition, it looks like the FPC Live concert venues are moving forward. But, nothing more on the old Bradley Center lot, especially not a major convention hotel. (Is that no longer a thing, given all the other smaller hotels that have popped up downtown?) And, nothing yet on the 4th and Wisconsin lot, where the had been talk for years of something including a convention hotel. No Vel Phillips Plaza, yet, though it’s supposed to be coming. No federal money to extend The Hop into the plaza and areas north…
I’m not saying that there hasn’t been a lot of downtown development. For cripes, so much has happened. I guess I was just expecting more, at least the projects that were hoped for leading up to the 2018 Democratic Convention.