Denver leads in convention poll
Mile High City in running to host Democrats in 2008
Lou Kilzer, Rocky Mountain News
Published May 24, 2006 at midnight
Denver is one of four cities in the running for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
And against the other three cities - Minneapolis, New York and New Orleans - Denver leads in an informal poll linked to convention Web sites.
Democratic officials sent letters to 35 cities asking if they were interested in hosting the convention, City Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth said. Eleven responded.
Of those, four cities entered formal bids.
At noon Tuesday, 41 percent of respondents in the unscientific poll favored Denver, 33 percent favored New Orleans, 15 percent backed Minneapolis-St. Paul and 6 percent supported New York.
As word of the finalists spread late Tuesday, Denver's poll number increased to 51 percent.
"The Web has come into play," Wedgeworth said.
The poll has no official role in the selection process but could indicate the city's popularity with rank-and- file party members.
Steve Farber, a Denver lawyer with strong national ties to the Democratic Party, said he thinks that Denver is well positioned to win the nod.
"There's no room for place or show," said Farber, who co-chairs the committee trying to bring the convention to Denver.
Farber said that a Denver convention aims not only at nudging a red state into the blue column but also at pushing a whole region in that direction.
"This is the West's Democratic convention," he said. "For Democrats to win, they have to start focusing on the West."
Costs for the winning bidder could be steep.
Denver's host committee estimated that $72 million could be spent on the event, although the final negotiated figure likely will be less, said Katherine Archuleta, the city's chief operating officer.
Most of the price will be picked up by funds raised by the host committee, but security costs could be $25 million, the committee estimated.
Most of the police costs could be reimbursed by the federal government, Archuleta said.
Whatever the final price tag, benefits also could be major.
The convention will attract about 35,000 attendees renting 15,000 rooms for several days, the city estimates.
Boston, host of the 2004 convention, estimated that the convention boosted the economy by $163 million, said Richard Scharf, president of the Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau.
He also said the whole world would be watching Denver, something that could bring incalculable benefit. That is, he conceded, unless it turns out like Chicago's 1968 convention - the scene of widespread protests and police clashes.
Denver is no longer in the running for the Republican National Convention.
Republican National Committee spokesman Aaron McLear said the deadline for proposals was Monday and that Denver had not submitted one. He said the selection process would now go on "with those cities that submitted bids."
Those are New York; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Cleveland.
The party committee had invited Denver and 30 other cities to bid on the GOP convention.
Denver hasn't hosted a national political party election since 1908, when Democratic delegates nominated the ticket of William Jennings Bryan and John Kern.
The Bryan ticket lost the general election to William Howard Taft.
Wedgeworth, another of the four co-chairs, said that the early poll lead on the liberal Web site called the Daily Kos was not a surprise.
"This has been on other blog sites, and Denver wins every one," she said.
The Democratic National Committee will send a group to check logistics in June, with another group visiting in August to test community support.
A final decision will come after that, Archuleta said.
A tale of four cities
Denver
• Population*......556,835
• Median age*......34.1
• Average family size*......3.33
• Life quality ranking**......10th (T)
• Best places to have a baby***......5th
• State and local taxes***......$5,535
• Mothers who smoked
during pregnancy****......7%
• Household income*****......$43,978
New York
• Population*......8,104,179
• Median age*......35.5
• Average family size*......3.48
• Life quality ranking***......7th
• Best places
to have a baby***......32nd
• State and local taxes***......$10,490
• Mothers who smoked
during pregnancy****......1.9%
• Household income*****......$39,937
Minneapolis
• Population*......373,943
• Median age*......33.9
• Average family size*......3.12
• Life quality ranking**......10th (T)
• Best places to have a baby***......3rd
• State and local taxes***......$6,962
• Mothers who smoked during pregnancy****......6.2%
• Household income*****......$42,010
New Orleans
• Population*......462,568
• Median age*......34.8
• Average family size*......3.33
• Life quality ranking**......NA
• Best places to have a baby***......NA
• State and local taxes***......$6,798
• Mothers who smoked
during pregnancy****......2.5%
• Household income*****......$28,645
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