Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from Allie Bice. Send tips | Subscribe here| Email Eli | Email Lauren It’s the second major decision about 2024 that rests almost entirely on the shoulders of President JOE BIDEN: Should next year’s Democratic National Convention be held in the “Second City” — or the one that could matter more to his reelection? Chicago and Atlanta, among the final contenders to host next summer’s convention, are ramping up their public relations campaigns and efforts to influence the president and his top aides. They’re joined by New York among the finalists and a decision could come in the weeks ahead as to which one wins. Democrats essentially had to scrub the 2020 convention in Milwaukee because of the pandemic. Following a mostly virtual, made-for-TV production, Biden accepted his party’s nomination from a no-frills stage inside the Chase Center in Wilmington, a 13-minute drive from his Delaware home. Next year’s nominating convention will likely be a return to the traditional boondoggle, a multi-day in-person event requiring serious money and a massive build. New York’s case for hosting has never been in doubt. It has the capacity to handle the event, no questions asked. Both Atlanta and Chicago are taking aggressive steps to make their pitch. Both have enlisted public officials from neighboring states, turning the competition into a regional matter. Illinois Gov. J.B. PRITZKER and his team are driving the campaign for Chicago’s convention bid, alongside Sen. TAMMY DUCKWORTH and Mayor LORI LIGHTFOOT. But others including Michigan Gov. GRETCHEN WHITMER, Minnesota Gov. TIM WALZ and Wisconsin Sen. TAMMY BALDWIN have made a point of reminding Biden privately of the potential upsides of Democrats planting their flag in the Midwest, according to a person familiar with the conversations. Former Sen. DOUG JONES, an Alabaman who is close to the White House, is spearheading Atlanta’s campaign. In addition to Georgia’s two majority-making senators, JON OSSOFF and RAPHAEL WARNOCK, that effort has support from prominent Democrats across the South, including Rep. JAMES CLYBURN, who helped deliver South Carolina and the nomination for Biden in 2020, and former Atlanta mayor, KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS, who leads the administration’s Office of Public Engagement. Her predecessor in that role, CEDRIC RICHMOND, was among some 65 top elected officials who urged Biden and the DNC to pick Atlanta in a letter last month, a rare case in which a New Orleanian could support Atlanta. In the letter, they reminded Biden that “Democratic turnout in the state of Georgia is the single greatest reason you and Vice President Harris are in the White House.” Top surrogates with a line into the White House are also taking every opportunity to lobby the president’s senior aides most closely involved with campaign matters: ANITA DUNN, JEN O’MALLEY DILLON and MIKE DONILON. At the same time, operatives in each camp are working to make their case in the press. But they’re aware that logistics — primarily, hotel capacity and whether there are enough rooms for attendees — could trump any political implications. Chicago likely has the edge there, at least over Atlanta. Former IBEW head LONNIE STEPHENSON, a labor leader with close ties to Biden, is among those who have lobbied the president directly on behalf of the bid by Chicago, a city with 40 unionized hotels (compared to Atlanta’s two), according to a person familiar with the matter. A second area Chicago is emphasizing is gun safety, asserting that Georgia’s more lax laws allowing concealed firearms could make securing an Atlanta convention difficult. The decision between these two cities may come down to whether the possible electoral upside of a Georgia convention outweighs logistical concerns, one party official said. If it’s purely a question of logistics, Chicago would likely be the choice — unless the city’s less than subtle lobbying for its bid, and against Atlanta’s in particular, turns off the president and his inner circle. New York City, meanwhile, has the luxury of playing it cool. The city has hosted several conventions and is a guaranteed draw for delegates. That said, Mayor ERIC ADAMS is revving up his own convention campaign, releasing a video this week touting the city’s diversity, strong labor presence and resilience coming back from the pandemic, declaring “The DNC belongs in NYC.” And both Democratic congressional leaders, Sen. CHUCK SCHUMER and Rep. HAKEEM JEFFRIES, have had plenty of interactions with the president and his team to push the city’s case. In the end, after all the money spent on fancy PowerPoint presentations, expense account dinners and PR flacks, the DNC’s decision will ultimately just come down to Biden and his team. “No one has any idea which way they’re leaning,” said a person involved in one city’s effort. “We are all just operating on Biden time." MESSAGE US — Are you MEGHA BHATTACHARYA, outgoing press assistant? And, by the way, how late did you stay out Tuesday night in Warsaw? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!
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