Democratic Leaders Tour NYC Amid Search For Next Convention Spot

NEW YORK, NY — A tour around the Big Apple that kicked off Thursday could be the difference between hundreds of millions of dollars for the city — or a familiar political rejection.

Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul will join forces the next few days to wine and dine national Democratic leaders in a bid to convince the political big-wigs to hold the 2024 Democratic National Convention in New York City.

The convention — which mayors have sought for decades — would be an economic boon for the city, bringing thousands of visitors and millions of dollars to the recovering tourism industry.

"We're going to show everything from our great venues, our restaurants, our amazing infrastructure and transportation," Adams said. "This is our opportunity to show why in 2024, there's no other place to be than NYC."

Adams first began his pitch for the Democratic Convention back in May, proposing Madison Square Garden as its primary event site, with the Jacob K. Javits Center hosting other components a few blocks west.

Democratic leaders said Thursday they will consider both the logistics of the event and how each city's "story" aligns with the party's values when choosing a location.

"What we are looking for is the city that can demonstrate and illustrate the values of the Democratic Party, about who we are. Where do we want to go? Where do we want to be?" DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said. "New York is one of the great cities that can tell that story."

The convention would come at a critical time for New York City, whose burgeoning pandemic recovery rests on a steady return of out-of-town visitors.

Officials contended Thursday they expect outstanding obstacles in that recovery — like an ongoing crime spike and fear of the city's subway system — to be ironed out by the time the convention arrives.

"This is a comeback. And by 2024, we'll be hitting it on all strides," Hochul said.

Making a bid for a party convention is hardly a new idea for a New York City mayor — in fact, every mayor dating back to Rudy Giuliani in 1994 has asked either Democrats or Republicans to host their convention in New York, reporter Jeff Coltin of City & State pointed out.

Only Bloomberg was successful, landing the 2004 GOP convention. New York last hosted the Democratic convention in 1992, when Bill Clinton was nominated for the first time.

The city has secured commitments from 86 hotels to provide around 14,500 hotel rooms to visiting party leaders, according to Adams's administration. Meanwhile, visitors would get to enjoy the city's wealth of cultural institutions, restaurants and bars — plus be in close proximity to major media networks' headquarters, the city says.