By Katharine Jackson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans will hold their 2024 U.S. presidential nominating convention in Milwaukee, the party’s chairwoman said on Friday, choosing a city in the key battleground state of Wisconsin.
“Milwaukee is a world-class city, and we are eager to see it shine in the spotlight come 2024,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said on Twitter.
In 2016, Republican Donald Trump won Wisconsin by fewer than 25,000 votes out of 2.8 million cast in his successful bid for the presidency. Four years later, Democrat Joe Biden carried the state by fewer than 21,000 votes out of 3.2 million cast.
Trump has hinted he will run for president again in 2024 but has stopped short of announcing his candidacy.
In 2020, Democrats’ plans to hold their nominating convention in Milwaukee were upended by concerns about the coronavirus, resulting in a largely virtual event. Democrats have not yet selected a site for their 2024 convention.
Recent U.S. presidential elections have come down to the results in a small number of states, such as Wisconsin, which are closely contested.
(Reporting by Katharine Jackson; Editing by Alistair Bell)