Kenosha businesses excited for 2 national conventions nearby in 2024
KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Wisconsin Democrats, and business owners, are weighing in now that Chicago will be hosting the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
This comes after Milwaukee made a bid to have the convention again after the cancelled 2020 convention.
The convention, to be held in August of 2024, will draw Democratic Party officials, legislators, and media from across the country. With the Republican National Convention scheduled in Milwaukee for July of 2024, Governor Tony Evers says having the two conventions on either end of I-94 is a good problem to have.
"It's a good showdown to have," said Gov. Evers. "I was advocating for Chicago, I think some of the money will go across the border occasionally, with Wisconsin being so close, but I think it sells a story politically about how important the Midwest is in winning presidential elections."
With the RNC now confirmed for Milwaukee, and the DNC going to Chicago, businesses in Kenosha are hoping to see some action from both sides of the state line.
"It's extremely exciting now that Chicago is going to have a convention, Milwaukee is going to have a convention, within a month of each other, and Kenosha has a great location right in between the both of them," said Rajiv Singh, owner of Wyndham Garden Kenosha Harborside and treasurer of Kenosha Lakeshore Business Improvement District.
He says after the cancelled 2020 DNC in Milwaukee, there's hope that despite being around an hour from downtown Chicago, hotels and businesses in Kenosha could see some of the money they missed out on in 2020.
"The local businesses, the restaurants, bars, museums, everybody's gonna see this huge influx of people," said Singh.
"It's going to be - it's going to be exciting. I'm excited," said Nicole Nelson with Rustic Road Brewing Company, adding it'll be a big opportunity for many people to experience what Kenosha has to offer. "This really comes down to the fact that we're just downtown Kenosha and we're small. We're right by the lake. A lot of small businesses, business owners are here."
Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler says having both conventions in the Midwest is indicative of how important the region is in presidential elections, which is part of why he pushed to have it in Chicago as well.
"To me, getting the DNC back to our neck of the woods was key, and frankly, there will be people who go to the Chicago convention and then spend some time in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha," said Wikler.
Singh says while he's confident they'll see Democratic officials booking some rooms, the biggest thing they're hoping for is the return of all the national media as well.
"From a standpoint of the media traveling, will they bring out the same size of crews they would have brought out pre-COVID versus post-COVID," explained Singh.
The RNC is scheduled for July 2024. The DNC is scheduled for August of 2024.