The DNC Has Announced Which City Will Hold Its 2020 Convention

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has announced that Milwaukee will host the 2020 Democratic National Convention. The decision to bring the party's presidential nominating convention to the Wisconsin city is reportedly one full of political significance and symbolism.

"This choice is a statement of our values," DNC Chairman Tom Perez told CNN, adding that he was "thrilled" Milwaukee had been selected as host city for the 2020 Democratic National Convention. "The Democratic Party is the party of working people, and Milwaukee is a city of working people. We saw in this last election what we can accomplish when we come together, invest, and fight for working people, and that was proven right here in Wisconsin."

But the DNC's decision to choose Milwaukee over Miami Beach, Florida, and Houston, Texas, is more than a nod to Democrats' commitment to the working class. It also signals the party's desire to retake Wisconsin in 2020. According to The Hill, 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was the first Democratic candidate to lose Wisconsin in the general election since Walter Mondale's campaign in 1984.

Instead, then-Republican nominee Donald Trump picked up the state's 10 electoral votes after besting Clinton by some 23,000 votes at the polls, the Associated Press reported. Clinton has since received significant criticism for her failure to visit the midwestern state, which had long been considered a "blue wall" battleground state prior to 2016, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has reported.

2020 will also be the first time the Democratic National Committee has held its nominating convention in a Midwest city outside of Chicago, Illinois, in more than a hundred years. The party held its national convention in the Windy City in 1996, marking it's first return to the region since the 1916 Democratic National Convention in St. Louis, Missouri.

Milwaukee city officials have praised the DNC's decision. "This is a great day for the city of Milwaukee and for the state of Wisconsin," CNN reported Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. "Milwaukee is a first-class city, and we are ready to showcase Milwaukee on one of the largest stages in the world." On Monday, Barrett tweeted a picture of himself being notified of the DNC's selection during a phone call with Perez.

On Twitter, Perez said he was "grateful for every finalist city for being a part of this process" and urged Democrats to "get ready for 2020."

Democrats face an already crowded 2020 primary field with 14 candidates having launched official campaigns. But Democrats' 2020 primary ballots may become even more crowded in the months ahead as former Vice President Joe Biden and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke are reported to be seriously considering 2020 bids. Among those who've already launched 2020 campaigns are Sens. Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sander, and Elizabeth Warren.

The Democratic National Convention will take over Milwaukee for three days beginning on July 13, 2020. The Republican Party is expected to hold its own national nominating convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, the following month.