HOUSTON – Houston leaders and athletes were part of a pep rally Thursday to welcome the Democratic National Committee team that will pick the site of the party’s 2020 convention.
The rally at the Toyota Center kicked off at 9:15 a.m. and included a blue carpet to welcome the committee. Associate DNC Chair Jamie Harrison said, "This has been absolutely amazing! Go big or go home, that is the motto. We have the Southern hospitality here, (that) has been amazing. You should all be really proud of your mayor. He is the best salesman I have ever met. He has been selling this city and all of its attributes.”
Harrison added, "We are really excited! What we are looking for is a city that will showcase the Democratic Party in 2020. We get one time every four years to really show who we are as a party. So the city that hosts that big extravaganza also has to reflect the attributes of the city as well. It's about diversity. It's about resiliency. It's about the American dream. We find all of those things here in Houston."
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Rockets guards James Harden and Chris Paul took part in the event, aimed at showing the DNC team that the city can host big events.
"In this city, we come together to do tremendous things, and that's the spirit ... we want to bring to the DNC 2020," Turner said. "When you have more than 15,000 reporters coming from all over the globe showcasing our city, marketing our city. The PR is just immeasurable. This convention can leave more than $200 million in the city of Houston. That's important."
"One thing I've learned in the last 12 hours or so is that Houston doesn't do anything small," said a member of the DNC team. "You go big. You go bold, and that's exactly what we need right now in our country. That's exactly what we need."
The committee will wrap up its three-day visit Friday.
Houston is one of three cities in the running to host the convention. The others are Milwaukee and Miami Beach. A decision is expected early next year.