by: Makenzie Koch
Posted: / Updated:
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – AUGUST 26: Mike Pence accepts the vice presidential nomination during the Republican National Convention from Fort McHenry National Monument on August 26, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. The convention is being held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic but includes speeches from various locations including Charlotte, North Carolina, Washington, DC, and Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Just weeks after putting its name in the mix, Kansas City has withdrawn its bid to host the 2024 Republican National Convention.
Randall Landes, interim president and CEO of Visit KC, and Mayor Quinton Lucas sent a letter to the Republican National Convention’s Site Selection Committee chair in early November to “respectfully withdraw our destination.”
Lucas’s office confirmed in October that Kansas City was planning to submit a bid to host the political event where the party will select its nominees for president and vice president in the 2024 election. City leaders visited Washington D.C. later that month to meet with RNC leaders.
But according to the city’s letter, after returning, leaders reconsidered submitting a bid.
Lucas and Landes said the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, which Kansas City is hosting, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Kansas City is also hoping to host, require significant resources.
“Given the timing and detailed requirements … we feel it is not in the best interests of either party for us to move forward with a bid given our existing commitments,” the letter says.
Still, the city said it hopes Kansas City will be considered as a future host city for conventions in 2028 and beyond.
“The investment we have made in our hotel, transportation, and airport infrastructure speaks directly to what we feel makes Kansas City an ideal city for events and conventions such as this,” the letter says.
The three-day convention is expected to bring an economic impact of about $200 million to the host city as delegates and media converge for the high-profile event.
Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City and several other cities have also expressed interest in hosting the Republican National Convention.
Lucas’s office had no comment and referred FOX4 to Visit KC’s office. The organization said it had no further comment beyond what was included in the letter to the RNC committee.
