DNC chair says he feels at home in Denver's spring snow during 2028 convention scouting visit

DENVER - Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said he felt right at home in Denver's spring snowstorm Wednesday as he and fellow party leaders evaluated the city's readiness to possibly host the 2028 presidential nominating convention.

Martin, who is from Minnesota, gave brief comments during a news conference at Ball Arena, the only part of the three-day visit open to members of the media. The visit started Tuesday.

"The mayor has been working tirelessly to get this convention here," he said of Mayor Mike Johnston. "They have rolled out the blue carpet, as I say, and it's been terrific."

Denver is the third of five cities that Martin and the DNC team will visit on scouting trips before they decide which will host the 2028 convention. The other contenders are Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. The winner will host the four-day convention in August 2028, bringing in tens of thousands of visitors and giving the city a national stage to show off its attractions.

Martin hinted that his team may also choose a host city for the 2032 convention.

"While we are here to tour and discuss the various logistical and administrative requirements for hosting the Democratic National Convention, we also seek a city that tells a story, that shares our values and will be a true partner with us," he said.

Johnston led the press event, which also included comments from Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib.

"This is a state (where) we're successfully showing not only (that) Democrats win and continue to win, but we're governing effectively," Polis said. "We're happy to share that with our colleagues … and many others from across the entire nation to make sure that more of the country can really look west for the future."

Denver and Colorado officials have focused on highlighting the city's transportation and logistical advantages during their pitch. They've also pointed to Democratic policy wins locally, including free kindergarten and preschool, decreases in street homelessness and improved public safety.

Johnston shared some details of the visit so far, including taking the DNC officials to the Colorado Avalanche's playoff game Tuesday night - the team beat Martin's home-state Minnesota Wild 5-2 - and singing karaoke at the Capitol Hill bar Charlie Brown's.

During what he jokingly called his "closing argument" Wednesday, he called back to the last time Denver hosted the Democrats' convention. That was in 2008, when then-Sen. Barack Obama accepted his nomination for president.

"This city and the '08 convention made famous the idea of hope and change," he said. "As we think about this coming convention, it is true that often hope inspires change. But it is more profoundly true that change drives hope."

The DNC visit coincided with a heavy spring snowstorm that left several inches of snow over the city. The storm didn't majorly impact the planned tour, though. City officials did have to pivot away from their plan to bring Martin and the rest of the team to a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a spokesman said.

One of the key factors in the decision will be whether Denver bid leaders are able to sufficiently fundraise for the event. Johnston said the city has built out a "detailed financial plan" to raise the resources but that the process wouldn't fully kick off until the city is actually named as the host.

The mayor also said the city hasn't used any of its own resources in trying to bring the convention to the city. Instead, bid leaders have worked with Visit Denver, a nonprofit that serves as the city's tourism sales and marketing agency. It receives both private dollars and some tax dollars from the city's lodging tax.

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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 6:17 PM.