GOP Selects Cleveland Over Dallas As 2016 GOP Convention City

The Republican Party will hold its 2016 presidential convention in Cleveland, GOP chairman Reince Priebus announced Tuesday.

The GOP chose to locate its nominating event in an expected 2016 battleground state rather than in Dallas, Texas, the sole remaining competitor after Denver and Kansas City were eliminated from consideration in late June.

The Cleveland selection means a continued dry spell for solidly red states, which haven't hosted a Republican National Convention since delegates gathered in Houston's Astrodome in 1992.

After footing a portion of the tab for the past two conventions, in Tampa, Fla., and St. Paul, Minn., the national committee had been adamant that its decision for 2016 would be primarily a business one — centering on a host city's ability to pay. The projected costs for the event are about $60 million.

As host city, Cleveland will have the opportunity for a rare one-two punch in 2016: Democratic officials will swing through in early August on a cross-country tour of potential host sites for the Democratic National Convention.

A city hasn't played host to both major parties since Miami Beach in 1972.

The RNC is expected to officially ratify Cleveland as its choice during the committee's general body meeting in early August.