Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean is coming to the Mile High City next month in what will be his first visit since he announced that Denver would host the party’s 2008 national convention, the DNC confirmed Wednesday.
Dean is scheduled to spend April 12 in Denver to meet with host-committee members and other city officials to discuss convention plans.
The former governor of Vermont and 2004 presidential-primary candidate also is expected to tour the Pepsi Center, where the convention is to be held, and to hold a public rally to promote the convention. But details of the event aren’t complete, and the DNC only confirmed that the chairman would be in town on that date.
“It will be a great opportunity to generate enthusiasm,” said host committee president Elbra Wedgeworth.
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat, says a secondary goal of the host committee is to use Dean’s rally to stress that Front Range residents should feel encouraged to participate during the convention week, Aug. 25-28, 2008.
During the Democrat’s convention in Boston in 2004, traffic problems resulting from tightened security were blamed for keeping tourists away.
DeGette said the host committee wanted to quickly dispel any notion that tourists and residents wouldn’t be able to share the city with the 35,000 delegates, party officials, media and others who will be attending the convention.
“That’s always been our goal,” Wedgeworth agreed. “Whether you’re a delegate or not, we want people in Denver, in Colorado and in the region to take part.”
Staff writer Chuck Plunkett can be reached at 303-954-1333 or cplunkett@denverpost.com.
