Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams put full-court press on DNC to get nominating convention in NYC
NEW YORK -- Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams are pitching New York City as the place to be for the next Democratic National Convention.
As CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported Thursday, if the Big Apple is selected, it would get a financial boost.
The mayor says the city has the best mass transit system in the nation.
"That is probably one of the top selling points we have," Adams said.
And despite the surging gun violence, he says it also has a police force that is unmatched anywhere.
"We're the best police department on the planet. Not in the country, but on the planet," Adams said.
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Hyperbole aside, the mayor used his trademark swagger to convince members of the DNC that they should pick New York City for the 2024 presidential nominating convention. Led by DNC Chair Jamie Harrison, party poohbahs are in New York City to be wined and dined and see for themselves why the Big Apple is the right place for the convention.
"What we do during these visits is we look under the hood, we kick the tires to try to make sure that we are picking the best city," Harrison said.
The convention is expected to be an economic shot in the arm for a city recovering from the pandemic. Officials estimate it will mean $230 million in economic activity. By comparison, Philadelphia brought in $200 million in 2016.
"To have these Democrats come to this city and spend their Democratic dollars so that Democratic voters can benefit from the Democratic economy, that's just a win-win-win," Adams said.
"Bringing the DNC here, bringing any big-time event, means people will be at New York City restaurants spending money. People earn more money. It's just great for the whole city as a whole," said Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality alliance.
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Hochul made the case that New York's strong support for abortion rights, gay marriage and other liberal causes sends the right message to convince people to vote Democratic, not Republican.
"We're going to talk about these issues in 2024. This is the place to have that conversation, we believe, because we're going to be able to show an incredible contrast and who's fighting to protect our city streets more than New York City," Hochul said.
Also in the running are Chicago, Houston and Atlanta, but officials pointed out that Texas and Georgia have Republican governors who favor restrictions on abortion and voting rights. So it may be the Big Apple vs. the Windy City.
Last week, a Republican site selection committee picked Milwaukee for the convention, but the selection still has to be ratified by the full Republican National Committee.