Bob Harvey, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, said in an Aug. 25 emailed statement the convention is expected to bring an estimated $200 million in economic benefit to the Houston area via the 50,000 attendees expected.
The national convention is the occasion in which a party officially nominates that party’s candidate for president and vice president, according to information from the 2024 host city committee.
The decision Aug. 25 follows a vote by Republican National Convention committee members to select Houston as the host city and Houston City Council voting Aug. 9 to approve a framework agreement with an "assurance that it will provide the necessary services" for the 2028 Republican National Convention.
The gist
Officials with the Houston First Corp. first submitted the bid to host the Republican National Convention over a year ago. Houston had also bid to host the Democratic National Convention in 2024, but Chicago was chosen as host instead, according to the Democratic National Committee.
“We were able to showcase our community’s leadership, our dynamic convention campus and our team’s professionalism to the RNC, and we believe that’s why they chose Houston for their most important event,” said Michael Heckman, Houston First Corp. president and CEO, in the news release. “When we began this bid process more than a year ago, we did so knowing that winning the Republican National Convention would be a significant economic win for our city and an opportunity for Houston to shine. Now we look forward to making that opportunity a reality.”
Harvey said Houston previously hosted the Democratic National Convention in 1928 and the Republican National Convention in 1992.
“The Partnership was pleased to assist in making the case for our region when the RNC site selection committee visited last December,” he said in a statement. “Having hosted the Democratic and Republican conventions on prior occasions ... we know the national exposure that such events bring to Houston.”
A date has not been released for the 2028 convention, although Community Impact previously reported the event is slated to be held in July or August 2028.
What they’re saying
- “I am proud to welcome the 2028 Republican National Convention to Houston—one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, a thriving center of economic development, and a cultural leader of Texas,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in the release.
- "We are proud to be chosen as the site for the 2028 Republican National Convention. This keeps us on the global stage, allowing us to showcase our amazing venues and the people who keep our hotels, restaurants, and local businesses operating," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in the release. "As the nation's most diverse and inclusive city, we believe Houston represents the future of the United States and our aspirations as a country."
Houston will follow the city of Milwaukee as a host of a Republican National Convention.
Milwaukee will host the 2024 Republican National Convention on July 15-18, according to information from the host city.
