Minneapolis loses to Charlotte in bid to host DNC 2012

Minneapolis will not be hosting the 2012 Democratic National Convention, much to the dismay of city officials and the glee of some in the anti-war movement. Charlotte, N.C., beat out Minneapolis, St. Louis and Cleveland in its bid for the convention. In 2008, St. Paul hosted the Republican National Convention, an event which brought claims of civil rights abuses by law enforcement.

“After reviewing feedback from all these individuals, I am confident that Charlotte is an ideal location,” DNC chair Tim Kaine said in a statement on Tuesday. “I want to congratulate the people of Charlotte, their mayor, Anthony Foxx, Senator Kay Hagan, Governor Bev Perdue, and every other leader who helped to put together this winning bid. I am looking forward to working with all of them to ensure that the next Democratic National Convention is one that will demonstrate the best of our party and our nation’s political process.”

Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak offered congratulations to Charlotte.

“Congratulations to Charlotte on being selected to host this great event. Any assistance they need, we’re here to help,” he said. “We’re obviously disappointed, but having been a finalist for this selection proves once again that Minneapolis has what it takes to host any major event.

He added, “Trust me, we’re going to continue to compete for them. Every time Minneapolis vies for this caliber of high-profile event, we strengthen the infrastructure needed to be competitive in attractive conventions and new business to town that in turn create good jobs that grow our economy.”