Penn graduates are spearheading the effort to bring the 2028 Democratic National Convention to Philadelphia.
The city — alongside Denver and Boston – is one of three contenders to host the convention. Leading the charge are 2016 Fels Institute of Government graduate and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, former Penn Board of Trustees Chair David Cohen, and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.
Cohen, a 1981 University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School graduate, is the president of the non-profit Pick Philadelphia — the group behind the campaign to bring the DNC back to the city. Rendell, a 1965 College graduate, serves as honorary co-chair of the organization while Mayor Parker is a board member in her capacity as mayor.
Requests for comment were left with Cohen, Rendell, and Parker.
If selected, Philadelphia would host the convention from Aug. 7-10, 2028, at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. The arena — then the Wells Fargo Center — previously hosted the convention in 2016.
At that convention, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination but ultimately fell short in the general election to 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump, much to the country’s shock. On Election Day, an overwhelming majority of votes cast on Penn’s campus favored Democratic nominee Clinton.
When Philadelphia hosted the DNC in 2016, students, professors, and University leadership engaged with the convention by interning with the convention’s host committee, teaching classes that required attending either the DNC or Republican National Convention, and hosting delegates at the Inn at Penn.
At the time, Penn students helped Rendell put on the national convention — including orchestrating programming and events around Philadelphia leading up to and during the event.
“That will be an all hands on deck hospitality, community, city government, business community, organized labor, civil society, just ordinary citizens helping to welcome the site selection committee here to Philadelphia,” Cohen told NBC earlier this year.
Cohen added that the city is prepared to handle the requirements of an event at this magnitude.
Last month, DNC Chair Ken Martin told WHYY that Philadelphia — along with the other two cities in contention — had given “incredibly strong bids" and described the convention as an “inspiring celebration of our party’s future nominee.”
The final location of the 2028 convention will be announced later this year.
Staff reporter Luke Petersen covers politics and can be reached at petersen@thedp.com. At Penn, he studies philosophy, politics, and economics. Follow him on X @LukePetersen06.
