DENVER — Democrats from across the country gathered in Denver for a two-day event where they asked one key question after the blue wave seen throughout the midterms: What's Next?
The question was also the title of the convention, which featured speakers that included Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Senator-elect James Talarico, and U.S. Senator Cory Booker.
“There hasn't been a lot of hope around progress in the last two years, and so I think they chose Denver really because they thought it was a sign of hope that you can still take on hard problems and make progress," said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. "They were scheduled to go to a different city and actually moved to come to Denver. So we're thrilled that they came here, and we think we have a pretty good story to tell.”
Johnston, along with several members of Colorado's Democratic party, believed the event showcased why Denver should be the host of the Democratic National Convention in 2028.
"We certainly made the case that this could be the bookends of the 2028 presidential cycle. You started here in Denver, and we hope we end it here in Denver with the convention," Johnston said. “No news yet to announce, but we are pushing hard. We think this is a pretty incredible argument for what a great place Denver is."
Some of the candidates who attended the two-day convention held at The Mission Ballroom appeared to be jockeying for their position as a potential presidential nominee as well.
“We've heard of, you know, nearly two dozen people who are interested in running for president, and that means we do have a deep bench of people who are coming from all walks of life," said the Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, Shad Murib, who clarified that not all of those individuals attended the Denver convention.
Outside of the event on Friday, protesters gathered and specifically voiced their frustration with federal leadership. The sentiment spilled inside The Mission Ballroom as well, when Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives Hakeem Jeffries was speaking on stage.
Three protesters were escorted out of the event after yelling at Jeffries, calling him a traitor among other things.
The convention was hosted by the Majority Democrats.
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