Philly leaders courted the DNC chair this week with glitz, glam, and Mummers
Mayor Parker and some of the city’s biggest boosters led DNC officials around Philadelphia this week, part of a charm campaign to lure the presidential nominating convention back to the city.
There was a swanky dinner in the basement of a Center City sushi restaurant, a parade with Mummers, a secret party with DJ Jazzy Jeff, and hundreds of cheering union members lined up at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philly’s stadium complex.
And it was all, basically, for one person.
Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, traveled to Philadelphia on Wednesday for a three-day trip to the city alongside a group of advisers, the second stop in a multistate tour of the five cities that the DNC is considering to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention.
Philadelphia’s host committee, which is called Pick Pennsylvania and is being led by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, rolled out the red carpet — or, as Martin said, “the blue carpet” — this week. Parker and some of the city’s biggest boosters led the group around Philadelphia, part of a charm campaign to lure the presidential nominating convention back to the city.
» READ MORE: Inside Philly’s high-stakes charm campaign to lure the 2028 Democratic National Convention
Their message to the party is that Philadelphia has only improved as a tourist destination since 2016, the last time the convention was held in town. And the city is preparing to take its spot on the world stage this summer as it hosts high-profile events including FIFA World Cup games, the MLB All-Star Game, and events tied to America’s 250th birthday.
“We are stepping into our rightful place,” said Parker, who addressed reporters alongside Martin and the Pick Pennsylvania committee on Thursday. “This right here, this is about what comes next.”
At stake for the city is the potential to host a major event that draws thousands of visitors and members of the media from around the world, and can generate millions of dollars in economic activity.
If Philadelphia is picked, the convention would take place from Aug. 7 to 10, 2028. The Republican Party’s 2028 convention will take place in Houston.
» READ MORE: Philadelphia may host another DNC in 2028. Here’s what that could mean for the local economy.
David L. Cohen, a longtime Democratic fundraiser and the president of the host committee, said he has “never seen this city so ready.”
Cohen, a former Comcast executive and chief of staff to ex-Mayor Ed Rendell, is president of the host committee and organizing alongside Daniel J. Hilferty, the CEO of Comcast Spectacor. The pair have worked together repeatedly over the years to bring big events to Philly.
Hosting a party convention is a massive undertaking in terms of fundraising. Cohen said the host committee would need to raise $100 million to cover convention costs.
But first, the city has to be picked. On Thursday, he and Hilferty framed the site visits this week as a critical part of the competitive national process.
Martin said little about his thinking on the selection, and he did not take questions from reporters. He said that he has “fond memories” of the 2016 convention in Philadelphia, and that he will make a decision on where to hold the 2028 convention in consultation with his advisers.
The other finalist cities are Atlanta, Denver, Chicago, and Boston.
To sell Philadelphia, the host committee packed Martin’s schedule.
On Wednesday, he strutted down Market Street alongside Parker and a group of Mummers. That night, he ate dinner in the moody basement at Double Knot, had drinks and dessert on the 60th floor of a skyscraper at Jean-Georges Sky High, and ended with late-night bowling on the lower level of Harp & Crown. During a tour of the arena Thursday, union members waved larger-than-life cutout photos of Martin’s face.
And that evening, they were all scheduled to party with West Philadelphia’s own DJ Jazzy Jeff.
But the visit was not all pomp.
It included a serious evaluation of security, transportation, hotels, and logistics. The DNC’s technical advisory team toured the Xfinity Mobile Arena for much of the day Thursday, analyzing electrical capabilities, parking, and more.
Hilferty said the arena, which has undergone a series of upgrades and a name change in recent years, “is a completely different building than it was in 2016.”
“This is not a city that is getting ready,” he said. “This is a city that is ready.”
