Boston is one of five finalists to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention, along with Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and Philadelphia. Democratic National Committee officials have been making trips to each city, assessing the outlook of hosting there.
The Boston host committee kicked off the DNC visit Monday afternoon with a press conference inside Big Night Live, the concert venue adjacent to TD Garden. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Gov. Maura Healey both leaned on Massachusetts’ revolutionary history to win over the DNC.
Making her pitch, Wu said Boston “rose to the moment to fight for freedom and justice 250 years ago” and has “advanced the common good” since then.
“As we face critical elections this year and again in 2028, we need voters to know that the Democratic Party is dedicated to that very same cause, that we can and will build the democracy our founders fought for, a democracy that works for working families, immigrants, labor unions, communities of color, young people, elders, and anyone and everyone who has a dream in this country,” Wu said.
Wu, Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll talked up Boston as a safe, clean and walkable city with a track record of hosting major events.
DNC officials have said they’re looking for a “city that shares Democratic values” and a “strong partnership between the DNC and the host city, including its community, political and business leaders.
Boston is the final city on the tour, Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin said. He sold the convention as a possible economic boon for its host.
Boston has hosted the Democratic convention once before, in 2004. John Kerry, then a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, accepted the party’s nomination onstage in the arena then known as the FleetCenter.
The 2004 convention served as Barack Obama’s introduction to a national audience. The relatively unknown Illinois state senator delivered the keynote address four years before he would go on to run for and win the presidency.
Healey said Boston has grown and modernized in the past 22 years, with ”new skylines and new infrastructure.”
“This is a place of enthusiasm, it’s a place of strength,” she said. “And I think that it’s a place that will demonstrate the enthusiasm and strength of the Democratic Party as we show off the history, the culture, and the community that we have to offer here in the coming days.
Healey had a moment in the spotlight at the Democrats’ 2024 convention in Chicago, delivering a brief speech before Kamala Harris accepted the nomination. The primetime speaking slot fueled speculation that Healey might be under consideration as a U.S. attorney general pick for a Harris administration.
Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan is leading Boston’s 2028 bid and brings with him deep experience in the world of political conventions. He was chief of staff for the 2004 Boston convention and went on to serve as CEO for the Democrats’ 2012 convention in Charlotte.
Kerrigan said there’s no deadline for the DNC to make its decision on a venue.
“This group of folks will go home on Wednesday morning, and at some point either white smoke or black smoke will come out of the DNC chimney and we’ll find out whether or not we are the chosen city,” he said.
