by Jason Schaumburg
It’s official: President Donald Trump will accept the Republican Party’s nomination for a second term in Jacksonville, Fla., after the GOP pulled out of Charlotte, N.C.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this momentous occasion in the great city of Jacksonville,” Republican National Convention Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. “Not only does Florida hold a special place in President Trump’s heart as his home state, but it is crucial in the path to victory in 2020. We look forward to bringing this great celebration and economic boon to the Sunshine State in just a few short months.”
Because of contract obligations, the business of the convention will remain in Charlotte.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper had told RNC organizers it was “unlikely” North Carolina would be able to accommodate the 19,000 delegates, alternate delegates, staff, volunteers, elected officials and guests who plan to attend the Aug. 24-27 convention amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
“What city would take on the Republican National Convention with just 75 days to pull it off? Probably not many,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said in a video released on Twitter. “But Jacksonville isn’t just any city. Here in the river city, we do things big and bold, and we’ll be ready.”
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Jason Schaumburg is an award-winning, veteran editor who has been a journalist for more than 20 years. He spent a decade as the top editor in three northern Illinois newsrooms for Shaw Media and Pioneer Press. Schaumburg is a regional editor for The Center Square.
