Democrats on Thursday narrowed the list of potential host cities for their 2028 presidential convention to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia as their party looks ahead to a wide-open primary to succeed President Donald Trump.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement the cities put forward “incredibly strong bids," and he promised the convention would be an “inspiring celebration of our party's future nominee.”
A final decision is expected to be made later this year by party leaders. Republicans have already chosen Houston for the site of their 2028 convention.
The Democratic convention, scheduled for Aug. 7-10, 2028, traditionally gives the party a chance to formally introduce its nominee to the country, rally the base and kick-start the most intense period of campaigning ahead of the general election.
The party didn't specify why Atlanta and Chicago, which was the site of the 2024 convention, were eliminated. Officials visited all five cities in April and May, considering logistical and fundraising capacity among other factors.
The three finalists are liberal strongholds surrounded by the type of suburban areas that have become increasingly important to the party in recent elections. They also provide access to fundraising and key demographic and interest groups, like labor unions.
While Colorado and Massachusetts have gone Democratic in recent presidential elections, Pennsylvania has been among the biggest battlegrounds. Trump, a Republican, won Pennsylvania in 2024.
Philadelphia last hosted the convention in 2016, Denver in 2008 and Boston in 2004.
Before the presidential primary gets into gear, Democrats are looking at this year's midterm elections as an opportunity to flip the narrowly divided Republican-led House and maybe take back control of the Senate.
Democrats face fundraising disadvantages compared with Republicans, along with financial debt, and Martin has confronted criticism over his stewardship of the party.
During a recent DNC meeting in Texas, Martin downplayed the critics and called for the party to unite as it tries to win the midterms and look ahead to 2028 and the end of Trump's second term.
FILE - The skyline in Philadelphia, is photographed, Feb. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
FILE - Motorists drive on southbound Interstate 25 with the city skyline in the background April 30, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - The Boston harbor and the city skyline are photographed, Oct. 28, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
BERLIN (AP) — A woman died and at least two other people were injured as severe storms caused extensive damage overnight across parts of Germany.
In Waldorf, in the southwestern state of Rhineland-Palatinate, a woman was struck by a falling tree and fatally injured, the German news agency dpa reported Thursday. Another woman suffered serious injuries in the accident, police said.
The women, 58 and 47, were walking together when a storm rolled in and they sought shelter under a covered seating area. Both women were struck when a tree was uprooted and fell onto the seating area. The 58-year-old died at the scene, a police spokesperson said. The 47-year-old was taken to a hospital.
A tornado struck the town of Fürstenwalde, 78 kilometers (49 miles) southeast of Berlin. Roofs were torn off and several cars were damaged by falling trees, and one person was injured, according to dpa.
In Höhr-Grenzhausen in the Westerwald district in western Germany, a storm tore walls from buildings. At least two homes were affected, according to dpa. Falling pieces of building facades and flying debris caused additional damage, and several trees were uprooted. A widespread power outage also hit the area, while strong gusts of wind overturned a truck on the A61 highway.
There were also numerous weather-related emergency calls overnight in Hesse, Thuringia and Bavaria.
A village festival in Kronach, Bavaria, was partially evacuated due to severe storms. About 3,500 guests had to leave the outdoor area of the festival grounds late Wednesday evening, local police said. They were able to continue celebrating inside the beer halls.
In Wetzlar, in Hesse, the storm damaged about 60 houses, according to the fire department. In some cases, pieces of roofing were blown as far as 100 meters (110 yards) away, dpa reported.
The German Weather Service warned that further severe storms could occur later in the day, particularly in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria in southern Germany.
Severe damage is visible on several houses in Solms-Oberndorf, Germany, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, following a violent thunderstorm. (Boris Roessler/dpa via AP)
A section of a corrugated metal roof lies between vehicles in a parking lot in a residential area, following a storm in Fürstenwalde, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Michael Ukas/dpa via AP)
Firefighters stand in front of damaged houses, following a storm in Wetzlar, Germany, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (Florian Wiegand/dpa via AP)
Houses are seen severely damaged following a violent thunderstorm, in Höhr-Grenzhausen, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
A thundercloud is moving over Lich in the Giessen district of central Hesse, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Alexander Wolf/onw-images/dpa via AP)
