DNC moves up 2020 convention timing to 'maximize exposure' ahead of fall campaign

Democrats will hold their 2020 national convention in mid-July - two weeks earlier than the party's 2016 event, a move Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez says "will not only allow for a unified party, but will ensure that our nominee is in the strongest position to take on Donald Trump or whoever the Republican nominee may be."

Democrats also touted the shift as an attempt to "maximize exposure" for whoever emerges from an uncertain and likely crowded field of Democratic contenders for the party's presidential nomination and would avoid conflicting with the 2020 Summer Olympics.

"The Democratic Party is committed to organizing everywhere, and holding the convention in mid-July allows us to continue our work doing exactly that,” Perez said in a statement released by the DNC Friday, “My priority is to ensure that the 2020 nominating process is the most open, fair, transparent and inclusive in our party's history."

Moving their convention to early July means the marquee event for the party is taking place almost two weeks earlier than the 2016 convention, which took place between July 25 and 28, and at an earlier date in more than 20 years. The change also means Democrats will not have to compete for viewers with the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, slated to begin July 24.

The DNC has also narrowed down the potential sites for their 2020 conventions, and are considering eight potential host cities: Atlanta, Birmingham, Denver, Houston, Miami Beach, Milwaukee, New York and San Francisco.


https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/dnc-moves-2020-convention-timing-maximize-exposure-ahead/story?id=55924985