Cancelled plans for 2020 Republican National Convention in Jacksonville
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Resisting the prospect of downscaling the 2020 Republican National Convention in compliance with state health measures in North Carolina, U.S. President Donald Trump announced in May 2020 that most aspects of the convention would be moved from Charlotte to the Florida city of Jacksonville. In Florida (which had a Republican governing trifecta), it was hoped that the Republican Party could stage a full-scale in-person convention to Trump's liking. In the weeks that followed, a Jacksonville host committee developed plans for the convention, and raised a portion of the funds needed to stage the convention. However, rising COVID-19 infection rates in Florida resulted in the ultimate cancellation of plans to stage the convention in Jacksonville, and a decision was instead forced to significantly downscale the convention. Instead of Jacksonville, the 2020 convention was ultimately centered in Washington, D.C., significantly downsized.
Background
The 2020 Republican National Convention was initially scheduled to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina. Months out from the planned convention, even as it became apparent that the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic would render a large in-person convention an unwise risk, incumbent Republican president Donald Trump remained resistant to the prospect of downscaling the convention at which he was to be re-nominated. On June 2, 2020, President Donald Trump (who was to be renominated at the convention) and the Republican National Committee jointly decided to pull the event from Charlotte after the North Carolina state government declined to agree to Trump's demands to allow the convention to take place with a full crowd and without public health measures designed to prevent the spread of disease during the pandemic, such as social distancing and face coverings.[1] Trump chose to relocate the convention to another state, in hopes of circumventing North Carolina's pandemic health restrictions so that Trump could be re-nominated in front of a full-scale in-person convention crowd.[2]
Selection of Jacksonville
On May 25, 2020, Trump raised the possibility of moving the convention out of Charlotte after North Carolina's governor, Roy Cooper, stated that the convention would need to be scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] Trump publicly spatted with Cooper, a Democrat, over this.[4] On June 2, 2020, after weeks of failed negotiations, Governor Cooper rejected the plans submitted by the Republican Party to host a full-scale convention. Trump announced the cancellation via tweet, stating, "Because of [Cooper], we are now forced to seek another state to host the 2020 Republican National Convention."[4] This marked the first instance in which a convention had been moved from its originally-selected host city since the location of the 1972 Republican National Convention was shifted from San Diego to Miami Beach.[5]
After Trump's announcements, RNC officials clarified that while most of the convention's activity would be held in a to-be-selected new location, some mechanics of the convention would still be held in Charlotte.[6] By splitting the convention between two cities, this would mark the first-ever instance in which a Republican National Convention had been split between multiple host cities.[7] It would also mark the first instance of a major party nominating convention being centered in two different cities since the 1860 Democratic National Conventions.[8]
In addition to Jacksonville, Republican National Committee officials reportedly considered several other cities located in states with Republican-dominated governments, including Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville, New Orleans, Orlando, Phoenix, and Savannah, and even visited some of these cities.[9][10][11] Jacksonville was particularly appealing because not only did Florida have a Republican governing trifecta, but Jacksonville (unlike most other considered cities) had a Republican mayor.[12]
On June 11, the Republican National Committee confirmed that the main events and speeches of the convention would move to Jacksonville, Florida, including Trump's nomination acceptance speech on August 27 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. However the convention's official business was to remain in Charlotte with a greatly reduced agenda and number of delegates.[4][13] August 24 was to see a portion of the convention hosted in Charlotte, with the following three days of the convention being held in Jacksonville.[14] Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel highlighted Florida as an electorally important state for the re-election of Trump, and its status as his adopted home state. She touted economic benefit that convention spending would bring to Jacksonville businesses that were struggling amid the impacts of the pandemic.[15]
This would have been the first time that a major party United States presidential nominating convention had ever been held in Jacksonville.[7]
Jacksonville host committee
Jacksonville formed their own host committee after being awarded the convention.
The committee's members were announced in mid-June. Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry and lobbyist Brian Ballard co-chaired the committee.[16][17] The committee had originally named 32 initial members, including the two co-chairs.[16][17] The initial 30 additional members were Pet Paradise president and CEO Fernando Acosta-Rua; Corner Lot Properties founder Andy Allen; Sunshine Gasoline Distributors founder Maximo Alvarez; FRP Holdings, Inc. chairman and CEO John Baker; former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi; Florida state senator Rob Bradley; president and CEO of GreenPointe Holdings, LLC Ed Burr; U.S. Sugar senior vice president Robert Coker; Visit Jacksonville president and CEO Michael Corrigan; J.B. Coxwell Contracting president J. David Coxwell; Jodi Coxwell; Florida state representative Travis Cummings; JAX Chamber president and CEO Daniel Davis; Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association president and CEO Carol Dover; Jacksonville Transportation Authority CEO Nat Ford; president of the Florida Senate Bill Galvano; Miranda Contracting president Josh Garrison; health official Leon L. Haley Jr.; Bishop Vaughn McLaughin; Morales Construction Co. president Rick Morales; speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Jose Oliva; businessman Tom Petway; US Assure CEO Ty Petway; The Vestcor Companies founder John Rood; U.S. congressman John Rutherford; Florida Senate president designate Wilton Simpson; Florida House of Representatives speaker designate Chris Sprowls; Total Military Management COO Kent Stermon; JAXUSA Partnership president Aundra Wallace, and U.S. Congressman Mike Waltz.[16][17]
After the initial members were announced, Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin denied his participation, despite having been listed as a member.[18] Leon Haley Jr. left his position on the committee days after his membership was announced.[19]
The committee reported having raised $4,650,135.20.[20] As of October 2020, the committee had $840,000 in unspent funds.[20]
Venues
The main venue of the convention was to be the 15,000-seat VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.[7] On July 16, the Jacksonville Republican National Convention Host Committee sent out a letter announcing that, in addition to the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, other venues in Jacksonville would be used, including TIAA Bank Field, Daily's Place, 121 Financial Park, and "several other" venues.[21]
Some business matters of the convention were still to be remain in Charlotte, while the most prominent components of the convention (including Trump's acceptance speech) were to be staged in Jacksonville. The remaining Charlotte components were to be attended by only 336 out of the more than 2,000 convention delegates. Jacksonville was to expect a large influx of visitor traffic for the convention, with between 20,000 and 50,000 people predicted to visit the city for the convention.[7]
Security
The Republican National Convention was designated as a National Special Security Event. The originally-planned Charlotte convention had been awarded this status.[22][23] The plans for a convention in Jacksonville had also been awarded this status.[24][25] Jacksonville had been given $30 million federal grants for security.[26][27]
The City of Jacksonville paid $69,777 to a consulting company that was assisting them in security.[26]
Alarm was expressed by Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams over the ability of local law enforcement to provide security due to poor funding and lack of advance planning as a result of the late change of venue.[28] Williams expressed his belief that his department would be unable to stage sufficient security for the event on such short notice.[29]
Hotels
A limited number of hotel rooms in its metro area was a possible shortcoming of Jacksonville as a host, which the city sought to assuage Republican National Committee concerns of when seeking the rights to host the convention. When the city had previously been the site of the Super Bowl in 2005, it had had to make use of cruise ships in order to provide enough overnight accommodations for visitors.[30]
Delegate hotel assignments
Convention planners had distributed a memo in July assigning state delegations the hotels they would have stayed at.[31]
| Municipality | Hotel | Chain | Delegations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | Aloft Jacksonville Airport | Aloft Hotels | West Virginia |
| Best Western Premier Jacksonville | Best Western | Washington | |
| Best Western Southside Hotel & Suites (Orange Park) | Best Western | Minnesota | |
| Comfort Suites Baymeadows Near Butler Blvd | Comfort Suites | District of Columbia | |
| Comfort Suites Jacksonville Airport | Comfort Suites | Connecticut | |
| Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Airport/I-95N | Crowne Plaza | New York; Nevada | |
| DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Airport | DoubleTree by Hilton | North Carolina (part of delegation) | |
| DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Jacksonville Riverfront | DoubleTree by Hilton | Iowa; Mississippi | |
| Embassy Suites by Hilton Jacksonville Baymeadows | Embassy Suites | South Carolina | |
| Fairfield Inn & Suites Jacksonville Airport | Fairfield by Marriott | Nebraska | |
| Hampton Inn Jacksonville Beach/Oceanfront | Hampton by Hilton | Idaho; Pennsylvania (part of delegation); Tennessee | |
| Hampton Inn & Suites Jacksonville-Airport | Hampton Inn | New Jersey (part of delegation) | |
| Hampton Inn & Suites Jacksonville - Beach Boulevard/Mayo Clinic Area | Hampton Inn | Kansas; Montana | |
| Hilton Garden Inn Jacksonville Airport | Hilton Garden Inn | Guam; New Jersey (part of delegation); Northern Mariana Islands; Utah; | |
| Hilton Garden Inn Jacksonville JTB Deerwood | Hilton Garden Inn | Virginia (part of delegation) | |
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites Jacksonville Airport | Holiday Inn Express | Delaware; Massachusetts | |
| Holiday Inn Jacksonville E 295 Baymeadows | Holiday Inn | Colorado | |
| Hotel Indigo Jacksonville-Deerwood Park | Hotel Indigo | Missouri | |
| Hyatt Place Jacksonville/St. Johns Town Center | Hyatt Place | Wisconsin (part of delegation) | |
| Hyatt Regency Jacksonville | Hyatt Regency | Florida; New Hampshire | |
| Marriott Jacksonville | Marriott Hotels | Arizona | |
| Omni Jacksonville Hotel | Omni Hotels | Michigan; North Carolina (part of delegation) | |
| Ramada by Wyndham Jacksonville Hotel & Conference Center | Ramada | New Mexico; North Dakota | |
| Residence Inn by Marriott Jacksonville Airport | Residence Inn by Marriott | Rhode Island | |
| Residence Inn by Marriott Jacksonville Butler Boulevard | Residence Inn by Marriott | Alaska | |
| Sheraton Hotel Jacksonville | Sheraton Hotels | Georgia | |
| Southbank Hotel Jacksonville Riverwalk | Lexington | Maryland; Ohio | |
| Springhill Suites Jacksonville | Springhill Suites | Oregon; Virginia (part of delegation) | |
| TownePlace Suites by Marriott Jacksonville Butler Boulevard | TownePlace Suites | Maine | |
| Tru by Hilton Jacksonville St Johns Town Center | Tru by Hilton | Wisconsin (part of delegation) | |
| Fernandina Beach | Home2 Suites by Hilton Fernandina Amelia Island | Home2 Suites by Hilton | Oklahoma; U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Hampton Inn Amelia Island at Fernandina Beach | Hampton Inn | American Samoa; Puerto Rico; Vermont | |
| Jacksonville Beach | Four Points by Sheraton Jacksonville Beachfront | Four Points by Sheraton | Pennsylvania (part of delegation) |
| Holiday Inn Express Jacksonville Beach | Holiday Inn | Arkansas | |
| Orange Park | Courtyard Jacksonville Orange Park | Courtyard by Marriott | Louisiana |
| Hampton Inn & Suites Jacksonville/Orange Park | Hampton Inn | Illinois (part of delegation) | |
| Hilton Garden Inn Jacksonville Orange Park | Hilton Garden Inn | Illinois (part of delegation) | |
| Holiday Inn & Suites Orange Park - Wells Rd | Holiday Inn | Kentucky | |
| Ponte Verde Beach | Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa | Marriott | Hawaii; South Dakota; Texas |
| St. Augustine | Holiday Inn World Golf Village-St. Augustine | Holiday Inn | California (part of delegation) |
| World Golf Village Renaissance St. Augustine Resort | Renaissance Hotels | Alabama; California (part of delegation) |
Cancellation
With the explosion of COVID-19 cases peaking at above 15,000 cases per day in mid-July,[32] the possibility of the Jacksonville convention being canceled as well began to be discussed.[33] Several of the local health restrictions in Charlotte that had prompted the RNC to seek a different location—requirements for people to wear masks and practice social distancing—were later adopted by Jacksonville.[34] Sen. Chuck Grassley, who was 86 years old, said he would skip the convention for the first time in 40 years due to the risk posed by COVID-19.[35]
On July 23, Trump announced that RNC events scheduled in Jacksonville, Florida, had been cancelled, saying, "The timing for the event is not right."[36][37][38] However, Trump also announced that delegate business would still continue in Charlotte.[39] A downscaled convention largely centered in Washington, D.C. was held instead of a full-scale one centered mainly in Jacksonville.[40]