Convention/19″/mike1st/mark2nd
By HOWARD FINE
Staff Reporter
Next week, the Democratic National Committee will announce the finalists for hosting the 2000 Democratic Convention and Los Angeles is expected to be on the short list.
“I fully expect that L.A. will be a major player in this process right until the very end,” said Democratic National Committee Chairman Stephen Grossman in an interview with the Business Journal.
Seven cities are vying for the right to hold the 2000 political convention, which could bring as much as $150 million in economic benefits. Philadelphia is widely regarded as L.A.’s main challenger, with Boston, Denver, Miami, Minneapolis and New Orleans rounding out the list.
On Nov. 12, the DNC’s site selection committee is expected to narrow the field, probably to three cities. L.A. and Philadelphia are expected to be two of the three finalists.
Grossman said the winning city is likely to be named just before or just after New Year’s Day.
“Our Site Advisory Committee had a great visit to L.A. in July,” Grossman said. “There was an absolute consensus in L.A.: from business, entertainment and across the spectrum of political leadership, they all want it. The early returns from that trip were of uniformly high quality.”
Philadelphia also received good reviews when the DNC finally toured the city just after Labor Day. A previous trip was cancelled because a transit strike threatened to alienate union supporters.
But Philadelphia has been named to the short list to host the 2000 Republican national convention, along with Indianapolis, New York, New Orleans and San Antonio. A provision in the bid for the Democratic convention prohibits negotiations with a city already chosen to host the GOP conclave.
A final decision on the Republican side is due later this month, said Republican National Committee spokesman Tim Fitzpatrick.
L.A. has several factors going for it California’s electoral clout, a new arena (Staples Center) and a huge media market. It could receive a further shot in the arm this week if Democrat Gray Davis wins the governor’s race.
“A Davis victory would certainly enhance California’s lobbying clout,” Grossman said. “If the Democrats do well in California, it would have a profound impact on national politics, including redistricting and the makeup of Congress for the next decade.”
State Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres, who is also one of the 53 members of the DNC site selection committee, said he asked the committee to postpone its decision on the finalists until after the election, in the hope that Davis would win.
L.A. Convention 2000 Executive Director Lucy McCoy pointed out that Pennsylvania has a Republican governor and two Republican U.S. senators.
Meanwhile, Riordan and the three co-chairs of the L.A. Convention 2000 effort SunAmerica Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Eli Broad, Dreamworks SKG principal David Geffen and Freeman Spogli & Co. partner William Wardlaw have pulled together a team of powerful corporate and entertainment executives to help raise the estimated $35.3 million it would take to stage the convention. Each of the nine executives had to commit to personally contribute $100,000, either in cash or in-kind contributions.
The nine executives are: Frank Biondi Jr., chairman and chief executive of Universal Studios Inc.; Mike Bowlin, chairman and chief executive of Atlantic Richfield Co.; John Bryson, chairman and chief executive of Edison International; Ronald Burkle, chairman of Fred Meyer Inc.; John Cooke, executive vice president of corporate affairs for Walt Disney Co.; Pamela Mullin, chairwoman of the Resnick Group; Jerry Perenchio, partner with Chartwell Partners; Haim Saban, chairman and chief executive of Fox Family Worldwide; and Mark Willes, chairman, chief executive and president of Times Mirror Corp.
