The party made the announcement during its biannual meeting in Chicago.
“We are eager to see it shine in the spotlight come 2024,” McDaniel said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the members of the Republican National Committee, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, the Milwaukee Host Committee, and Visit Milwaukee to deliver an incredible convention for our Party and nominate the next President of the United States.”
While Wisconsin is a swing state, Milwaukee, like many urban centers, is overwhelmingly Democratic. Still, Johnson, himself a Democrat, expressed his excitement for the upcoming event.
“We look forward to the positive economic impact of the presidential nomination convention, and, as the host city, I am confident all the attendees will find Milwaukee to be a splendid location for the event,” he said.
Republicans said their convention is expected to have a significant economic impact in a state that could be a key to the 2024 election. Donald Trump narrowly won the state in 2016. Joe Biden prevailed in 2020, securing the state’s 10 electoral college votes.
Milwaukee and Nashville were the two finalists for the convention, but the Nashville City Council quashed a bill to bring it there, citing safety concerns.
During the pandemic in 2020, the GOP held its convention at several venues, including the lawn of the White House, a site that raised ethics concerns.
The Democrats are expected to announce their convention site at the end of the year or early next year; Atlanta, Houston, Chicago and New York are among the choices.