Weeks ago, the Republican National Committee announced the location for the 2016 Republican National Convention as Cleveland, Ohio. The move was strategic in that Ohio is among the handful of ‘battleground states’ whose general election votes have for the last few cycles played a key role in swinging the results one way or the other.
This week the RNC has announced the dates of the 2016 convention as July 18-21, which is fairly early compared to previous conventions. The move is also strategic for that reason in that an earlier selection of the GOP nominee gives more time in the election cycle to unite around a single candidate and to move forward in campaign against the Democrat nominee.
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus detailed:
“The convention will be held significantly earlier than previous election cycles, allowing access to crucial general election funds earlier than ever before to give our nominee a strong advantage heading into Election Day. We’re excited to continue working with our partners in Cleveland and we look forward to showcasing everything the city has to offer to our delegates and the world in 2016.”
The 2012 convention in Tampa, FL, drew an estimated 50,000 Republicans to the region and pumped as much as $200 million into the economy. Cleveland ultimately won the final bid over Dallas as the site selection due to the city’s flexibility and willingness to accommodate an earlier convention date.
