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Republican, Charlotte leaders announce RNC dates for summer 2020

By Joe Bruno, wsoctv.com
By Joe Bruno, wsoctv.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Top Republican and city leaders announced the official dates of the Republican National Convention on Monday.

Officials said the dates will be Aug. 24 to Aug. 27, 2020.

President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump praised Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, saying she knew Charlotte would be a perfect fit for the RNC after she met Lyles.

"I know how incredible this city is, what really convinced me was meeting Mayor Vi Lyles," Lara Trump said.

Lara Trump was born in Wilmington, North Carolina and now serves as a senior advisor to President Trump's re-election campaign.

[Republican leaders officially name Charlotte as host city for 2020 RNC]

"I'm excited for 2020 for many reasons. The most exciting thing I can say right now is my home state gets to host the convention," Lara Trump said.

Mayor Vi Lyles spoke during the official announcement. The Democrat mayor has been one of the biggest advocates pushing for the Republican National Convention to come to Charlotte.

"We appreciate the opportunity to serve our country in this democratic process," Lyles said.

Lyles said Charlotte will be one of 11 cities to host the Republican and Democratic National Convention.

Charlotte hosted the DNC during the 2012 presidential election.

Charlotte will hosting the high profile event in 2020 at The Spectrum Center.

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The announcement was critical from a planning perspective because tens of thousands of visitors will descend on Charlotte that week.

Officials said $50 million federal tax dollars are going toward protecting the public during the week of the RNC.

The convention is expected to bring a major economic boost to the region with a positive spending impact approaching $200 million for the week.

There are 5,300 hotel rooms in Center City. By 2020, that will increase by 2,000.

“You never have enough hotels, but if you look at how our hotel footprint has grown from 2012, I think we are in a really great spot,” City Councilman Tariq Bokhari, R-District 6, said.

But, it will also bring a significant number of traffic headaches and protesters, as President Donald Trump would likely be nominated that week for a second term.

GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the RNC will work with CMPD on a plan to keep everyone safe.

“Our country is about freedom of speech,” McDaniel said. “We welcome people being able to share their voices. So, we will work with police to make sure we have spaces people can protest and share their voices.”

A large chunk of uptown Charlotte will have road closures during the week of the Republican National Convention.

The RNC was looking at three different weeks in July and August. They had to consider the Democratic National Convention dates and they did not want to conflict with the Olympics.

The DNC is scheduled for July 16 through July 20 in 2020.

A city has not been selected to host the DNC, but Houston, Miami Beach, and Milwaukee are said to be in the running.

The deadline for the RNC final decision was on Sept. 15. but was pushed back because of Hurricane Florence.

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The city is already planning for the convention. The RNC will likely come up during community engagement meetings with Charlotte-Mecklenburg police and city leaders.

They will focus on safety, trust and accountability.

Community meetings will begin in mid-October.

CMPD has indicated it is building a robust plan to balance security needs with free speech concerns.

Mayor Vi Lyles was there, along with the head of the Republican National Committee and President Trump's daughter-in-law, who is working on his campaign.

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