Cleveland set to host 2016 GOP convention

Cleveland was picked Tuesday by the Republican National Committee’s site selection panel to host the GOP’s national convention in 2016.

Cleveland edged out five other finalist cities — Cincinnati; Dallas; Denver; Kansas City, Mo.; and Las Vegas— in the hotly contested race that brought in each state’s power players and top fundraisers. Dallas was the last city in the running before the site selection committee made its decision Tuesday.

Thechoice of the mighty swing state of Ohio has already renewed debate over whether the site of the party’s convention can help generate excitement among the state’s voters and help tilt the election in the GOP’s favor. But that political theory has been disproved time and time again.

Though Republicans held their convention in Tampa, Fla., in 2012, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney ultimately lost Florida to President Barack Obama by a narrow margin. But Romney won North Carolina, where the Democrats held their 2012 convention, by 3 percentage points.

As various cities submitted their bids this year, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus played down the importance of choosing a swing state that might have a bearing on the party’s chances of winning the White House. Ina call with reporters earlier this year, Priebus stressed that the top concern was selecting a city that could produce a logistically smooth convention, including the capacity to house as many as 50,000 delegates in area hotels and ensure transportation for them around the city.