DNC officials set to visit Philly in late April, Cohen talks bid for convention

Philadelphia will receive DNC officials for a visit at the end of the month as part of a bid to host the Democratic National Convention, the president of the host committee said.

The visit is scheduled for April 29 through May 1, according to Pick Pennsylvania president David L. Cohen.

“That will be an all hands on deck hospitality, community, city government, business community, organized labor, civil society, just ordinary citizens helping to welcome the site selection committee here to Philadelphia,” Cohen said.

The DNC last month named Philadelphia along with four other cities – Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Denver – as frontrunners moving ahead in the selection process to host the 2028 convention.

Cohen said Philadelphia has a track record of being able to deliver the technical details that go into a convention. The pitch by Pick Pennsylvania is a joint venture with the city and Cohen said the plan would be to locate activities at both the Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City.

The bid comes as  development is anticipated in South Philadelphia for a new arena though Cohen says it’s not expected to interfere with hosting the convention.

“We explained in our (request for proposal) response that these development plans would exist but we explained that the plan we have for completely walling off — if you will — any construction that would have to occur down in the sports complex,” he said.  

Cohen, who served as ambassador during the Biden administration and has worked to bring two other conventions to Philadelphia – Democrats in 2016 and Republicans in 2000 – also raised the possibility of Philadelphia being a potential destination for 2032.

“Our goal is to get a convention in one of those cycles,” said Cohen.

Republicans announced Houston as their host city for 2028 more than two years ago, prior to the 2024 election.

You can watch or listen to the full interview with David L. Cohen on a new episode of Battleground Politics with Lauren Mayk.

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