Washington, DC – Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz today announced the finalist cities under consideration to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention: Columbus, New York, and Philadelphia. The announcement comes after a round of site visits by the DNC’s Technical Advisory Group to five cities.

“We’re thrilled to move to the next step of the selection process to determine where Democrats will come together to nominate the 45th President of the United States,” said Wasserman Schultz. “We are fortunate to have such a diverse and vibrant group of cities interested in hosting this special event and we thank Phoenix and Birmingham for showcasing their special communities. We look forward to working with Columbus, New York, and Philadelphia as we go forward.”

In addition, the DNC announced the potential weeks for the 2016 convention that will be under consideration: Weeks of July 18, July 25, and August 22. The DNC will announce a final city and date early next year.

Below is an e-mail Wasserman Schultz will send to supporters on the news.

Friend — I’m so excited to share some great news for 2016: We have three finalists to host the Democratic National Convention where we’ll nominate the next President of the United States.

Here’s that list: Philadelphia, New York, and Columbus.

In the next few months, we’ll be making our final choice.

In the meantime, I need you to say you’re supporting Democrats as we build up to 2016. We’ll make sure you’re one of the first to know as soon as we’ve made our decision:

I’m so excited for this convention, and I hope you are too. We have a critical, incredible opportunity to elect another Democrat to the presidency, and this is where we’ll come together as a party to do that important work. We will review what we’ve learned from 2014 and what we can do to make the coming years the best our party has ever had.

We’ll be keeping you updated with details about the convention, and we’ll announce the location soon.

Thanks,

Debbie

Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair
Democratic National Committee

P.S. — Obviously, we have a lot of work to do before 2016, and only you can help us do it. Click here to support the Democratic Party with a small monthly donation.

Washington, DC – DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz today released the following statement on the passing of Mayor Marion Barry:

“Today, the city of Washington, DC mourns the loss of ‘Mayor for Life’ Marion Barry. A hero of the civil rights movement and a longtime leader in the District of Columbia, Barry’s personal demons could not obscure his deep and abiding love for the city and its people. His voice and his constant presence will be missed by the people of Ward 8 and residents across the District.”

Washington, DC – In response to President Barack Obama’s immigration announcement, DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement:

“I’m proud President Obama has taken bold, definitive action to enact meaningful change for so many families living in fear of being torn apart, an action which will also serve to boost our economy. This is a real step towards protecting families and our national security while optimizing our resources and improving as much of the immigration system as he legally can while Republicans in Congress refuse to act.

“The American people are sick and tired of the GOP’s stall and scare tactics. While men, women and children who have already sacrificed so much for a better life waited anxiously, Republicans in Congress sat back and refused to act.

“This is not a political issue, it’s a human issue. President Obama knows that so many undocumented people living in the United States simply can’t wait any longer for the protections they deserve. Instead of threatening to shut down the government and impeach the President — Republicans in Congress should immediately rise to the occasion and act to pass comprehensive immigration reform.”

http://my.democrats.org/What-Comes-Next

Washington, DC – In advance of the swearing in of Alma Adams, the 100th woman to serve as a voting member of the current Congress, DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement:

“When Alma Adams is sworn in as…

Today, Vice President Joe Biden sent an email asking Democrats to keep fighting for our country’s future. Here’s what he wrote:
 

I’ve been through a lot of elections, and it’s a simple fact that you’re not going to win them all. No matter how hard you work, sometimes things don’t turn out the way you want them to.

But I hope you won’t listen to any of the people who are saying that what happened on one Tuesday night in November changed everything — because they are wrong.

Nothing changed the fact that there are millions of Americans counting on us to create good middle-class jobs, and build better schools for our children. It didn’t change that we still have a lot of work to do together, and two full years to do it.

So I want you to stay committed, keep your head up, and invest in the future of our party:

https://my.democrats.org/Invest-in-Democrats

Thank you — I mean it. Folks like you have always been the Democratic Party’s biggest asset, and there’s nothing that’s going to change that either.

Joe

Washington, DC – In honor of Veterans Day, DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement:

“Today, we reflect on the extraordinary courage of the brave men and women who protect the rights and freedoms that de…

Last week, the Republicans had a good night. We didn’t.

We worked hard for months, we even won a few tough races, but it wasn’t enough.

Sometimes, that happens. In a democracy, on occasion, the other side is going to win. But even if I’m disappointed, I’m not discouraged. And that’s because of people like you.

For months, you all made calls. You talked to your neighbors. You knocked doors. You donated. You stood with President Obama, and you stood up for middle-class families.

You inspire me every single day, and I don’t want another minute to go by without you hearing me say how much I appreciate what you do. So, thank you.

Your dedication is at the heart and soul of who we are as a party, and because of that, I need your help for what’s going to come next.

I don’t want to sit through another night like Tuesday again.

So we’re going to kick off an effort at the DNC to figure out how we can do better in future elections like these. We’re going to look at where we fell short. We’re going to identify our mistakes. And we’re going to talk to the smartest people in our party and the most dedicated Democrats in the country to build on what we’ve done that works and find solutions for things that are broken.

That’s where you come in.

We’re going to ask you to be part of this conversation. We’re going to ask you for your best ideas. And we’re going to ask for your patience as we test out new theories, and try new ways of doing things.

If we’re going to be successful, I need you to be part of this effort — and bring to it the same dedication you’ve shown again and again this year:

http://my.democrats.org/What-Comes-Next

Thank you, again! You’ll hear more from us soon.

Washington, DC – Today the DNC announced a top-to-bottom review of the 2014 election. In the coming weeks, DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz will appoint leading Democratic Party organizers, activists and strategists to review what happened in 2014 and what the party needs to improve in coming midterm elections. The Democratic Party has failed to translate success in presidential years to midterms and off years.

Wasserman Schultz announced the new effort in a video for supporters, saying in part:
 

We know we’re right on the issues. The American people believe in the causes we’re fighting for. But the electoral success we have when our presidential nominee is able to make the case to the country as a whole, doesn’t translate in other elections.

That’s why we lost in 2010, and it’s why we lost on Tuesday.  We’ve got to do better.

So that’s why, we’re going to kick off an effort at the DNC to do a top-to-bottom assessment of how we can do better in future midterm elections like these.
…
We are going to look at where we fell short. We’re going to identify our mistakes. And we’re going to talk to the smartest people in our party and the most dedicated Democrats in the country to build on what we’ve done that works and find solutions for things that are broken.

Wasserman Schultz will appoint a committee in the coming weeks with a goal of releasing the report at the DNC’s winter meeting early next year.

See below for a video message from DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Watch HERE.

TRANSCRIPT:

Hello fellow Democrats,

I’m not going to gloss over the facts: on Tuesday, the Republicans had a good night. We didn’t. We worked hard for months, we even won a few tough races, but it wasn’t enough.

Sometimes, you work your heart out, leave it all on the field and still come up short. In a democracy, on occasion, the other side is going to win. When that happens, you don’t give up – instead, you focus, review and press forward!

Even if I’m disappointed, I’m not discouraged. And that is because of people like you. 

Whether I’m talking to a grandmother giving up her weekends to volunteer on a campaign back in Florida or a teacher who comes up to say that he chipped in five bucks to one of our emails, Democrats like you do amazing things.

For months, you all made calls. You all talked to your neighbors. You knocked doors. You donated. You stood with President Obama, and you stood up for middle class families.

You inspire me every single day, and I don’t want another minute to go by without you hearing me say how much I appreciate what you do.

So, thank you.

Your dedication is at the heart and soul of who we are as a party.

But our party has a problem.

We know we’re right on the issues. The American people believe in the causes we’re fighting for. But the electoral success we have when our presidential nominee is able to make a case to the country as a whole, doesn’t translate in other elections.

That’s why we lost in 2010, and it’s why we lost on Tuesday.

We’ve got to do better.

So that’s why, we’re going to kick off an effort at the DNC to do a top-to-bottom assessment of how we can do better in future midterm elections like these.

Of course our next big and most important task at the DNC is to elect a Democratic president of the United States in 2016.   And we have the building blocks to do just that.  We will be talking more about that in the coming months.  But finding real and lasting solutions to our mid-term election issues is critical for the success of the policies we care about and the long term strength of our party.

Within the next couple of weeks, I’m going to name a committee of key party stakeholders and experts, who will spearhead an examination of what went wrong, and how the Democratic Party can do a better job of connecting in midterm elections.

We are going to look at where we fell short. We’re going to identify our mistakes. And we’re going to talk to the smartest people in our party and the most dedicated Democrats in the country to build on what we’ve done that works and find solutions for things that are broken.

That’s where you come in.

Because we are committed as a party to inclusiveness, we’re going to ask you to be part of this conversation. We’re going to ask you for your best ideas. And we’re going to ask for your patience as we test out new theories, and try new ways of doing things.

And we’re going to report out our findings by our DNC winter meeting early next year — with measures by which you can hold us accountable.

If we’re going to be successful, we need you to be part of this effort — and to bring to this project the same dedication you’ve shown again and again this year. 

If you want to add your voice to this discussion, take a minute to let us know.

Thank you, again! You’ll hear more from us soon!

This afternoon, President Obama sent an email thanking Democrats for their hard work during the midterm elections. Read it below:

The hardest thing in politics is changing the status quo. The easiest thing is to get cynical.

The Republicans had a good night on Tuesday — but believe me when I tell you that our results were better because you stepped up, talked to your family and friends, and cast your ballot.

I want you to remember that we’re making progress. There are workers who have jobs today who didn’t have them before. There are millions of families who have health insurance today who didn’t have it before. There are kids going to college today who didn’t have the opportunity to go to college before.

So don’t get cynical. Cynicism didn’t put a man on the moon. Cynicism has never won a war, or cured a disease, or built a business, or fed a young mind. Cynicism is a choice. And hope will always be a better choice.

I have hope for the next few years, and I have hope for what we’re going to accomplish together.

Thank you so much.

Barack Obama