Charlotte closing in on hosting 2020 GOP convention

The Queen City is one vote away from locking up its second national political convention in eight years.

Posted 5:45 p.m. Jul 18, 2018 — Updated 10:07 p.m. Jul 18, 2018

Matthew Burns

, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Queen City is one vote away from locking up its second national political convention in eight years.

A site-selection panel for the Republican National Committee voted Wednesday to recommend Charlotte as the host city for the 2020 Republican National Convention. A vote by RNC leadership on that recommendation is set for Friday.

Charlotte and Las Vegas were the two finalists for the convention, and Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald tweeted out congratulations to Charlotte Wednesday afternoon and thanked the RNC for considering Las Vegas.

"I think, when it got down to it, they were comfortable with the leadership in Charlotte. They were comfortable [that] it's been done there before, with President Obama, and I think they went that direction," McDonald told WCNC, the NBC affiliate in Charlotte.

Dallas Woodhouse, executive director of the North Carolina Republican Party, couldn't confirm Charlotte winning the backing of the RNC committee, but he noted the vote was widely reported among Charlotte media.

Charlotte hosted the 2012 Democratic National Convention, when President Barack Obama was nominated for re-election.

Some members of the Charlotte City Council balked at the possibility of hosting the convention, where President Donald Trump is expected to be nominated for a second term. They argued that Trump shouldn't be welcomed by Charlotte because of disparaging comments he's made about Latinos, women and other groups.

But pro-business Democrats, including Mayor Vi Lyles, voted with Republicans on the council in favor of the convention. They said the event will bring tens of millions of dollars into the city, boosting tourism and visibility on the world stage.

David McLennan, a political science professor at Meredith College in Raleigh, said the the convention will bring intense media coverage and an economic boon to the Charlotte metro area

"Hotels will sell out for miles around. Bars and restaurants will be full. It's just a great opportunity for a city to have the Super Bowl for four days," McLennan said.

Some in the city expressed concerns about the potential for violent clashes between political protestors and counter-protestors, but Lyles said she is confident that law enforcement can keep the peace while allowing everyone their right to speak their minds.

McLennan said he expects protests similar to Cleveland two years ago, when the GOP first nominated Trump, but recent host cities have done well with security to keep confrontations at bay.

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