Local leaders in Atlanta heavily criticized the Democratic National Committee on Thursday for rejecting the city’s bid to host the 2028 convention, accusing the national party of “abandoning” both the South and Black voters writ large.
In a letter obtained by multiple outlets, Andre Dickens, the mayor of Atlanta, blasted the DNC and its embattled chair, Ken Martin, for skipping over Atlanta after the committee whittled its list of finalists down to three cities: Boston, Denver and Philadelphia. Atlanta has not hosted a convention in nearly four decades.
Dickens argued that leaving out Atlanta signals the DNC and Martin are overlooking how vital the South is to the Democratic base. It is the latest criticism of Martin, who has faced pressure to step down over the party’s financial problems and internal clashes.