The National Republican Party has picked Jacksonville, Fla. as the site for the biggest night of its convention later this summer. Dallas had been mentioned as a possible site for President Donald Trump’s re-election nomination acceptance speech after North Carolina’s Democratic governor said no to Trump’s conditions that there be no COVID-19 social distancing restrictions at the event.
The head of the Texas GOP Party had said Texas would gladly host Trump’s speech, but the Democratic leadership of Dallas wasn’t so willing, citing coronavirus concerns about having that many people together in one location.
The rest of the GOP convention will still be held in Charlotte due to contractual obligations.
Florida’s governor was the only governor among a short list of states to actively campaign for the event.
Gov. Greg Abbott had said it would be nice, but he did not overtly lobby for it.
Trump was in Dallas this week for a big-money fundraiser and a roundtable discussion on race relations.
