Cities in the Spotlight During 2024 Political Conventions

By:

Angelina Panettieri

September 16, 2024 - (4 min read)

The 2024 Republican and Democratic National Conventions have come to a close and the presidential campaigns have entered the final stretch before Election Day in November. Members of NLC’s Presidential Election Task Force attended both conventions and met with local leaders during the proceedings. During the conventions, presidential campaigns and parties highlighted key aspects of the federal-local partnership throughout their speeches and published platforms. The conventions also provided an opportunity for the two host cities – Milwaukee and Chicago – to shine in the national spotlight as thousands of city staff and volunteers prepared facilities, managed the influx of tens of thousands of convention attendees and kept their cities safe, clean and operational. 

Local Leadership and Local Priorities on the Main Stage 

Scores of city and county leaders spoke or were featured during the evening prime time programming of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions to highlight key local priorities. Support for public safety agencies, investment in infrastructure, improving rail safety, increasing housing supply and nurturing local economies all received top billing. Current and former federal officials with prior local government service drew parallels between their municipal leadership and how the federal government can support cities, towns and villages in achieving their goals and addressing unique local challenges. 

City Workers: The Unsung Heroes of Political Conventions 

While they were not the focus of prime-time programming, the two host cities for this year’s Republican and Democratic National Conventions played a crucial role in the success of both events. Political conventions can draw more than 50,000 visitors to a city — from state delegates to journalists — and countless event support staff, observers and activists.

In addition to official party programming, political conventions spur hundreds of unofficial auxiliary events throughout the city, from panel discussions to protests. These conventions also require a high level of coordination between many local, state and federal public safety agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service. 

The work done by Milwaukee and Chicago to protect, transport, feed and house 50,000 visitors to a city began years before the events and continued well after those visitors had returned home. Elected leaders collaborated with city visitors’ bureaus to secure the hosting bid, communicate with the public and local businesses about the potential impacts and benefits of the conventions, and establish temporary policies to keep convention areas safe and operating smoothly. 

During the convention, local law enforcement partnered with federal safety officers to maintain secure perimeters around official convention facilities like arenas and convention centers, patrolled surrounding neighborhoods and even monitored potential threats to safety from the rivers bisecting Milwaukee and Chicago.

City transportation and public works teams operated around the clock to close and reopen streets and to erect hundreds of concrete bollards, steel fencing panels and signage to control access to secure zones and redirect pedestrian and vehicular traffic around the closures.

Even sanitation workers were impacted – in addition to placing and servicing more trash containers to accommodate waste from additional visitors, many trash removal services had to be shifted to happen at night or work around the restrictions of closed streets in secure zones. 

The successful hosting of a major political party convention is a team effort, most of which is never shown on TV broadcasts. While the delegates and balloons are now long gone, NLC and city leaders appreciate the many unacknowledged people whose hard work kept the conventions clean and safe.

NLC’s 2024 Presidential Election Task Force

For more information about the 2024 presidential election, local priorities and resources to help speak up this year on behalf of cities, towns and villages, visit NLC’s 2024 Presidential Election Task Force. 

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