FILE - Dennis Petersen (left) and Bruce Hough cast their votes during the first round of voting at the 2011 Republican State Convention Saturday, June 18, 2011 at South Towne Exposition Center. (Scott G. Winterton/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Republican party and business leaders in Salt Lake City have withdrawn their bid to host the Republican National Convention in 2024.
Republican National Committee member Bruce Hough told KSL NewsRadio the timelines for making the arrangements just got to be too tight, especially after the party changed the date of the convention from August to July.
“We informed the RNC that we would be withdrawing our bid,” he said. “The facilities that we were hoping to utilize, the short schedule, it’s just two years away.”
Still, Hough believes Salt Lake City is in a good position to make another bid to host the convention in 2028.
“We are going to be one of the leading contenders because we’ve already been through the process. Unfortunately, we’ve had to take ourselves out of it for this time, but, in a way, it could also be a blessing in disguise,” he said.
Hough said hosting a national presidential nominating convention would be a wonderful opportunity for Salt Lake City.
“I would support the community in sponsoring the Democratic convention in this city if we could do it because it’s really about showcasing our community and our state,” said Hough.
Politico reported that Milwaukee and Nashville are the two remaining cities in the competition to host the 2024 Republican National Convention.