Atlanta is making a serious push to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention, the gathering where the party will officially nominate its next presidential candidate. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin visited the city this week as part of the bid evaluation tour, according to Georgia Recorder.

Martin spoke briefly at a Thursday press conference at the Hotel Phoenix in the Centennial Yards area of downtown Atlanta, the same downtown footprint that has been the focus of major revitalization in the past two years and that will host eight FIFA World Cup matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium starting in June.

Atlanta is one of five finalist cities. The competition includes Boston, Chicago, Denver, and Philadelphia. Each city has been asked to demonstrate that it can handle the security, hotel inventory, transit, and convention floor capacity that come with a national convention drawing roughly 50,000 delegates, staff, journalists, and visitors.

Georgia Democrats see the DNC bid as both political and economic. A national convention puts the host city on screen for an entire week of prime-time television coverage, which translates into a substantial tourism and business-recruiting tailwind for years. The political appeal is sharper. Hosting in Atlanta would underline Georgia's status as a battleground state in the South, a region where Democrats are betting that demographic shifts and infrastructure spending have changed the partisan map.

"While we are here to tour and discuss the various logistical considerations," Martin said, the visit also included meetings with Mayor Andre Dickens, Gov. Brian Kemp's office, state party leadership, and Centennial Yards developers. The Hotel Phoenix, which sits at the heart of Centennial Yards, was a deliberate stop. The neighborhood has shifted from a parking-lot expanse to a mixed-use district with new hotels, residential, and retail since 2024, and city officials want the DNC selection committee to see the trajectory in person.

A host city decision is expected later this year. If selected, Atlanta would become the first Southern city to host the DNC since Charlotte in 2012.