Republican National Convention coming to Phoenix? Here’s what we know – AZCentral

President Donald Trump is weighing his options after threatening to pull the Republican National Convention out of North Carolina in August. Two Republican governors have offered up their states as alternatives. (May 27) AP Domestic

Metro Phoenix is among at least a half-dozen cities in the running for hosting a revised Republican National Convention after President Donald Trump said Tuesday the GOP is pulling out of Charlotte, North Carolina, after a dispute over crowds during the pandemic.

The move has sent the Republican National Committee scrambling to consider alternate locations. Party officials are finalizing details to scout potential venues in Arizona in the coming days.

Heres what we know so far about the convention, which is scheduled to run from Aug. 24-27, and the possibility it might come here.

Republican Reps. Debbie Lesko and Andy Biggs are pushing hard for it. So is Kelli Ward, the Arizona Republican Party chairwoman.

Lesko has been in contact with the RNC and Mark Meadows, Trumps chief of staff.

The empty exterior leading up to the Gila River Arena after the NHL suspended games due to the coronavirus in Glendale on March 12, 2020.(Photo: Patrick Breen/The Republic)

One possibility for any convention events in Arizona would be to hold them at Gila River Arena in Glendale, which is in her congressional district.

Biggs,the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which provided key support for Trump throughout his impeachment proceedings in the House last year, reportedly is reaching out to Trump directly.

If he is, he hasn't said so.

During a news conference on Thursday, Ducey said he hasn't made the issue a priority.

"The president is always welcome in Arizona. I know Ive said that before and Ill continue to say it," he told reporters. "I know theres discussion around the convention. Ive got to be straight up with you ... Ive been focused on the pandemic, the protest, public safety and wildfires.

"This is going to be the presidents decision and his decision alone. So I want him to choose the place that he thinks is to his best advantage on the electoral map."

Ducey went on to note that "Arizona is great at hosting large events. I dont know that theres a place thats better in the entire country."

He then added another health-related warning:

"And I also want to say regardless of the convention or the political party, in the environment were in right now, wherever the convention goes, theres going to be concerns and we would deal with them in turn."

The convention is now in play because Trump could not get the assurance he wanted about allowing traditional crowds from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat.

Cooper maintained that because of the lingering concerns about the new coronavirus it was very unlikely that Republicans could have the convention they originally planned.

Ducey has taken heat throughout the pandemic for being too slow to order the closure of schools, businesses and the economy more broadly, and for being too quick to reopen the economy.

Since Ducey allowedhis shutdown order to expire May 15, and as the state ramped up its testing, the state has seen rising numbers of COVID-19 daily deaths and hospitalizations.

Those numbers could begin to wane, but at least at the moment the convention issue is directly under consideration.Arizonas figures may not be encouraging Ducey to advocate for visitors from across the country.

No.

Traditional conventions are held in one city and include days of debate and voting on the rules and platform the party is going to follow for the next few years.

That more mundane party business gets considerably less attention than the speeches of party luminaries and rising stars, andthe nominations for vice president and president.

The issueis that North Carolina wont allow the giant rally because of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, so the business of the party will be separate from the acceptance speeches.

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Philip Klinker, professor of government at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, likened the acceptance speech component to Trumps campaign rallies.

Im sure they'll do it like Trump rallies. They'll have a number of speakers and then the president comes on and does his thing, he said. It will probably be a little more structured than a Trump rally.

What you want is a large, enthusiastic, adoring crowd and thats built in at a convention in almost every circumstance. And the parties very carefully arrange the convention what is the podium going to look like? At the end of the day, its basically a televised political rally.

Klinker said organizers would not need a substantial amount of lead time to pull off such an event.

Past organizers and local Republicans say it won't be a factor in the decision. The heat will be blazing, but the humidity levels are super low compared with Florida, Tennessee and other cities under consideration in the Southeast.

It is unclear how splitting the convention into two cities would affect the gathering of delegates to formally nominate Trump. One question is whether delegates would have to attend functions in Charlotte and the other city.

For what its worth, the average daily high in August for Phoenix is 105 degrees.

In Orlando, its 92. Miami is 91. Las Vegas is 102. In Nashville, its 89.

The relative humidity, a measure of how moist the air is, shows average August humidity in Phoenix is 36 percent of capacity.

Orlando is 79 percent. Miami is 76 percent. Las Vegas is 26 percent. Nashville has 73 percent.

Arizona is a swing state this year. Polls in Arizona show Trump trailing former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Arizona hasnt gone to a Democrat since 1996. Before that, you have to go back to President Harry Truman in 1948 for Arizona to vote for a Democrat. Thats why national Republicans are worried about the state now and dont want to see it, and the states 11 electoral votes, slip away.

The same polls also spell trouble for Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., in her bid against Democrat Mark Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut. That race is among the few that will help determine control of the U.S. Senate.

A large Republican event could energize the GOP base and generate good news coverage to bolster candidates chances this cycle.

But it could backfire, given the pandemic, Klinker said.

Arizona Republicans are feeling incredibly embattled right now, he said. Its a close state, Bidens leading, Martha McSally is way down in the polls, and the last thing they want is to hold a big rally there and then suddenly get a spike of cases. I mean thats a devastating message.

A spokesman for the Arizona Department of Health Services did not answer that question directly.

Arizona has adopted the federal COVID-19 guidance, Reopening America. Using that criteria, the state is in Phase 1 of reopening and the governors own commitment to that federal guidance means that Arizonans should not gather in groups of more than 10 in a single location, with exceptions such as church.

The governors latest executive order seems to carve out an exception for the democratic process. The order states: Nothing in this order prevents a person from engaging in constitutionally protected activities such as speech and religion or participating in the democratic process.

The state health department reiterates on its website the best way to prevent COVID-19 is to avoid exposure, to avoid close contact with people, to consider wearing face coverings, and to frequently clean and disinfect surfaces and objects. Those at higher risk for severe illnesses should avoid attending events with crowds altogether, it said.

Will Humble, the former state health director, said a convention could be held but only if it was dramatically scaled down and mitigation measures were put into place.

If it has to be like 2016 where its several thousand people in a ballroom for three days and in a big stadium and stage with dry ice coming out, if thats the standard, I dont think you could do it safely, he said.

But he said there is a scenario in which Republicans could place small groups of people in various rooms and then join them virtually to give the feel of a large gathering.

Youd have to do workarounds and have lots of virtual components, Humble said. But if the standard is we have to have everyone in a big giant ballroom like has been happening over the last 100 years, then to do it, youre posing a threat to the community, and the participants."

Conventions are based on a variety of considerations, such as hotel rooms and venues with adequate space for large crowds. But its also based on political considerations, such as whether a state is competitive or whether it builds a helpful narrative for the candidate.

When Charlotte won the 2020 convention in July 2018, the city's host committee had a goal of raising $70 million from various sources to help put on the event, according to the Charlotte Observer.

It's unclear how much is needed or sought from cities in the running to host the revised convention.

Heres how some of the contenders stack up.

Las Vegas: Nevada isnt viewed as especially competitive this year. Democrats are counting on it in November. And, like Phoenix, its hot in the summer. But it is home to a gaming industry that has been generous in its campaign support for Trump.

That city is struggling after the national quarantine, and casino owners, including Trump himself, would probably welcome a boost in traffic.

And few cities can match Las Vegas for hospitality-industry infrastructure.

Miami or Orlando: Florida is also ready for large events more than most states. Trump considers his home in Florida, and his private club, Mar-a-Lago, would allow him to be comfortable in the days leading up to his convention nomination-acceptance speech.

If Republicans actually move their convention from Charlotte, its hard to argue against relocating it to Florida.

Thats because Florida is crucial to Trumps reelection strategy.

Put simply, there is no plausible path to victory for him without it. Polls show Trump faces a critical battle with Biden there. And Biden could make it harder by naming former Orlando police chief Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., as his running mate.

Any late-summer event carries the risk of a major hurricane barreling through Florida, though that hazard can affect far-flung locales, too. The 2008 GOP convention in Minneapolis was shortened by a Florida hurricane.

The NBA announced Thursday it will be returning to play July 31 with 22 teams all playing in Orlando. Its unclear whether that would affect that citys convention prospects.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waves before he speaks at an event for the National Federation of Republican Assemblies at Rocketown in Nashville Aug. 29, 2015.(Photo: Jae S. Lee / The Tennessean)

Nashville: Like Las Vegas, Nashville is one of those cities with a strong hospitality-industry presence. The Music City has a long history of putting on good shows. Its also in a safely red state where Trump and the GOP probably wouldnt have to worry about crowd restrictions.

But Tennessee doesnt offer an obvious boost to Trump by being in a swing state or in a location that provides a helpful narrative. The states COVID-19 rate is the highest among the states in contention for the convention, according to figures tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other cities said to be in the running include Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans and Savannah, South Carolina.

Each of those markets also has its own pluses and minuses.

Georgia, for example, is a state that is getting increasingly competitive for Democrats, and that state has two U.S. Senate races this year. That would make Atlanta a tempting alternative, and its a short connecting flight distance from Charlotte.

But Atlanta may be a difficult choice in the wake of the racial unrest over the George Floyd killing, and New Orleans would mean dealing with another Democratic governor, and traveling to a city that was among the hardest hit by COVID-19.

A spokesman for the Republican National Committee said the timeline of solidifying a decision remains unclear.

Have news to share about Arizona's U.S. senators or national politics?Reach the reporter on Twitter and Facebook. Contact her at yvonne.wingett@arizonarepublic.com and 602-444-4712.

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Republican National Convention coming to Phoenix? Here's what we know - AZCentral