Democrats will officially nominate their candidate for the White House in July of 2016, a week after Republicans hold their national convention, the party announced on Friday.
The Democratic National Convention will be held the week of July 25, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a statement.
“This is the next step to finalize where and when we will nominate the 45th President of the United States, highlight the Democratic Party’s agenda of fighting for expanded opportunity and contrast it with the Republican Party’s commitment to the fortunate few,” Wasserman Schultz said in a statement.
The July date is two months earlier than Democrats’ 2012 convention, but it sets the Democrats up to immediately follow the GOP’s festivities, which are planned for July 18-21 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Republicans moved their convention back a month in hopes of avoiding the drawn-out primary battle that left the party fractured and their 2012 nominee wounded heading into the general election, but Democrats are unlikely to face such a problem — most polls have shown former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holding a commanding lead over the Democratic field, if she does decide to run.
The committee has yet to decide on a host city, and are still considering bids from Columbus, Ohio, New York City and Philadelphia. Wasserman Schultz will reportedly be in Columbus on Monday, and also has trips to New York and Philadelphia planned for next week.
“We are still in discussions with three excellent cities and are looking forward to a diverse and inclusive convention that displays our party’s values,” Wasserman Schultz said in the statement.