The Miami area hasn't held a presidential nominating convention since both the Democratic and Republican parties held their conventions in the Miami Beach convention center back in 1972. Despite Florida's transition into one of the most crucial swing states over the past two decades, neither have returned.
Well, Miami is trying to get back in the game and local politicians have taken the first step toward trying to lure the 2016 Democratic convention.
According to The Herald, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, Miami Mayor Tomás P. Regalado, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and tourism bureau head William D. Talbert II sent a letter on Friday to DNC chief Debbie Wasserman Schultz signaling an interest in hosting the event.
"There is truly no better place in the United States to host an event of this nature than Miami-Dade County," reads the letter. "Our airport is one of the biggest and most modern in the country and our hotel inventory is among the most exquisite in the world."
The initial plan would call for the actual convention to take place inside American Airlines Arena downtown.
Though, the event comes with a heavy price tag. It cost Tampa about $50 million to host the Republican National Convention in 2012, and Miami's plan would likely ring up a similar bill. To put that in prospective it would have cost only $20 million to host the 2013 Super Bowl. Like Super Bowls, the actual return of economic impact from the conventions is debatable.
Miami had been one of more than two dozen cities invited to submit a bid for the 2016 Republican National Convention, but did not send a bid, perhaps because of the feeling that the party would not likely host back-to-back convention in the same state. Considering that both Regalado and Gimenez are privately registered as Republicans, the decision to pursue one convention and not the other was likely more logistical and less political.
Likewise, Miami was one of the 30 cities asked to solicit a bid by the DNC. Leaders in St. Louis, Philadelphia and Columbus, Ohio so far have confirmed interest.
