Atlanta Mayor Blasts DNC for Bypassing City for 2028 Convention

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens sharply criticized the Democratic National Committee on Thursday, August 20, 2026, after the party excluded his city from the list of finalists to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention. In a public letter, Dickens accused the DNC and its chairman, Ken Martin, of abandoning Atlanta, the South, and Black voters by choosing Boston, Denver, and Philadelphia as the remaining contenders for the high-profile event.

The mayor's rebuke framed the decision as part of a pattern where the Democratic Party overlooks a region crucial to its electoral base. "They are afraid to leave their comfort zone and blind to the fact that the South is the answer," Dickens wrote. "They are abandoning Atlanta, abandoning the South, and once again abandoning Black voters." He contrasted the DNC's choices with those of the Republican National Committee, which has held recent conventions in Southern states like North Carolina and Florida, and noted that Atlanta has not hosted a Democratic convention since 1988.

The DNC did not provide a specific explanation for eliminating Atlanta and Chicago from consideration. In a statement, Chairman Martin said the three finalist cities...