“I don’t agree with everything in the Republicans’ platform. I disagree with the party’s stance on a huge range of issues,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said during a news conference. “That being said, Republicans will host the convention somewhere in the United States in two years. I want the economic benefits.”
Richard Walters, RNC senior adviser, said in a statement Friday that the committee’s vote was “a testament to the forthright and professional behavior embraced by Milwaukee’s city leaders throughout the process.”
Wisconsin officials have been lobbying for the event by promoting their status as a swing state.
“The national party realizes the importance of Wisconsin in the elections that are coming up,” said Wisconsin Republican Party state chair Paul Farrow.
Johnson said attracting the convention is also intended to set the city up for more major events in the future.
“The benefits … to keep Milwaukee in the limelight nationally and globally I think far outweigh the negatives here,” he said.
This story has been updated with additional details.