Milwaukee makes its pitch to host the 2024 Republican National Convention but deleted tweet reflects ongoing election tensions

Nobody ever said staging the 2024 Republican National Convention in a Democratic city would be easy.

On Tuesday, Milwaukee's bid committee gave a bipartisan pitch in Washington, D.C., to try to get the convention, even as a now-deleted tweet from the city's top election administrator showed how much tension there could be if Republicans come here.

Claire Woodall-Vogg, Milwaukee Election Commission executive director, tweeted Friday: "Should MKE host the RNC, you will find me working remotely out of state that week, lest I be hung in the town square like some have threatened."

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WISN-TV reported on the tweet and Woodall-Vogg deleted her Twitter account.

"That was an ill attempt at some dark humor given that I get death threats that are fueled by the 2020 presidential election," she told the Journal Sentinel.

Woodall-Vogg has been bombarded by threats in the wake of an election where Republicans raised doubts about results in Milwaukee and elsewhere. Recounts and courts have found the election was held properly.

Woodall-Vogg said: "I would love for the RNC to come here."

Jeff Fleming, spokesman for Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson, acknowledged the challenges Woodall-Vogg has faced but said the administration was not amused by the tweet.

"The Executive Director of the Election Commission has faced threats and accusations that are completely unwarranted," Fleming said. "Nevertheless, a flippant social media post about skipping town was not in order."

Milwaukee and Nashville are the two finalists to get the convention and delegations from the cities made their pitches Tuesday to the Republican National Committee's site selection panel.

They met at RNC headquarters. Nashville went first.

During its presentation that lasted around 1 hour, 40 minutes, the Milwaukee group rolled out Bloody Marys.

The delegation was bolstered in person by two top Democrats, Milwaukee Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, along with Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, who appeared via Zoom. Priebus is also a previous chairman of the Republican National Committee.

"As a former Democratic state legislator I never thought I’d make a pitch inside the Republican National Committee," Crowley said. "But it was a good experience."

Crowley and others stressed that Milwaukee can provide a "turnkey" convention since plans were drawn up in 2020 to host the Democrats. Of course, that convention was scaled back and turned into a mostly virtual event because of the pandemic.

"We’re making the case on why Milwaukee is a great place," Crowley said. "We have so much to offer. I do think they are very receptive to what we have going on."

Peggy Williams-Smith, VISIT Milwaukee president and chief executive who helped spearhead the local effort, said the Republican site selection panel dug into the issues of hotels and security.

Milwaukee boasts 19,000 hotels within a 30-minute radius of the main convention venues, Fiserv Forum and the Wisconsin Center.

"They must have asked us a few times, would we get a 90 percent commitment from all the hotels" to be made available for the convention, Williams-Smith said.

Milwaukee organizers have been eager to tell Republicans they'll be the only game in town during the convention, expected to be held in either July or August of 2024.

On security, a compact footprint was drawn up for the Democrats in 2020. Nick DeSiato, chief of staff to Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, was on hand to answer questions.

Williams-Smith said she anticipated further contact from the site selection panel. A final decision on where the convention will be held is expected by August.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee makes pitch to host the 2024 RNC but deleted tweet reflects