Call them the GOP Final Four. Dallas is among four cities that will advance to the next stage in the competition to host the 2016 Republican National Convention.
The RNC announced this afternoon that Dallas, Denver, Kansas City and Cleveland will receive visits from convention officials.
Las Vegas and Cincinnati didn't advance to the latest round.
The RNC will plan on visiting the remaining finalists between June 2 and June 13.
In early April, Dallas made the first cut in the competition.
Two cities were cut last month: Phoenix and Columbus.
Dallas officials made their pitch to GOP leaders in March. They propose hosting the convention at American Airlines Center. The city says GOP leaders should choose Dallas for its convention because the city has plenty of hotel rooms, has the ability to raise enough funding, is centrally located, and has a proven track record of hosting big events. Learn more about Dallas' bid.
Dallas sees three of the cities as its main competitors. Following the March presentation, Dallas Convention and Visitors’ Bureau President Phillip Jones said he was keeping his eye on Kansas City, because it’s spent more than a year planning for a convention; Denver, because it hosted the 2008 Democratic National Convention; and Las Vegas, because of its plentiful hotel rooms and convention space.
Here are highlights of Dallas’ bid:
Dallas officials say GOP leaders should choose Big D for its 2016 convention because the city has plenty of hotel rooms, has the ability to raise enough funding, is centrally located, and has a proven track record of hosting big events.
Dallas’ glitzy 72-page bid document released in March reminds Republicans that Big D hosted Ronald Reagan and the party’s convention in 1984.
It boasts of Dallas being the second fastest-growing city in the country and a top-five destination for meetings and conventions.
Dallas claims to have the capacity to assemble a host committee capable of generating more than $60 million in convention funding.
Under one bolded headline, “It’s All About Location,” Dallas touts a central location between both coasts and 14 entertainment districts where convention goers would have “fun and unforgettable experiences.”
