Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens had choice words for the Democratic National Committee after his city was cut from the short list of potential hosts for the 2028 convention.
The city is no stranger to hosting major events.
Since the 1996 Olympics, Atlanta has regularly hosted college football playoff games, Super Bowls, concerts from stars like Beyoncé
, Shakira, Ariana Grande and more, and most recently eight matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.But when considering which city will be able to host a national gathering of Democrats to choose the next presidential nominee, Atlanta didn't make the cut.
City officials campaigned hard for the chance to host, as the DNC hasn't held its convention in Atlanta for more than 40 years. The city hosted members
of the committee in April to show off Atlanta's potential as one of the five semifinal cities.
Instead, Committee Chair Ken Martin said Boston, Denver and Philadelphia were stronger contenders.
"We look forward to continuing to work with them as the DNC makes a final selection in the coming months," Martin recently said in a statement.
Dickens says DNC is 'abandoning the South'
In an open letter from Dickens, shared by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Greg Bluestein, the mayor said the "DNC continues to make the wrong choices."
"This decision could not have been based on Atlanta's ability to host major events. Not on the heels of being ranked the best city to host the World Cup. Not when State Farm Arena is one of the busiest and most successful arenas in the country," Dickens wrote. "For the DNC to not even include Atlanta in the shortlist means that the DNC does not consider Atlanta or Georgia relevant to the past, present, or future of the Democratic Party. It seems that Ken Martin doesn't even believe himself when he said that the road to the White House runs through the South."
He went on to write that he believes the DNC is unwilling to support the "base of the party," calling Atlanta the "crown jewel of the Southeast, the Black economic engine of the country, and the cradle of the civil rights movement."
He called the DNC's focus on northern states to host the convention a pattern and a choice, and said the DNC is ignoring evidence that suggests the importance of the Southern vote in 2028.
"They are afraid to leave their comfort zone and blind to the fact that the South is the answer. They are abandoning Atlanta, abandoning the South, and once again abandoning Black voters," Dickens wrote.
South Carolina is first stop in Democratic primary
While Georgia may have been snubbed, the DNC stuck with another Southern state in deciding the next Democratic presidential candidate.
The first Democratic primary will be held in South Carolina, replacing Iowa and New Hampshire, according to the DNC.
Every time a Democrat has won the White House since 1992, South Carolina voted for the winning candidate, from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden.
Potential presidential candidates are likely to visit the state multiple times over the next two years. More than 60% of the Democratic primary electorate is African American, a key voting bloc for the party that Dickens said were abandoned in Georgia.
In arecent Emerson poll, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff were all polled as potential Democratic candidates.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance were polled as potential Trump replacements.
All Democrats, except Ocasio-Cortez, polled above Republican candidates, according to Emerson.
Irene Wright covers Georgia politics as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta mayor says DNC 'abandoning the South' ahead of 2028 convention
