Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday formally responded to Republican National Convention officials, saying a full-scale convention in Charlotte this summer is "very unlikely," given the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a letter sent to Cooper this weekend, Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, and Marcia Lee Kelly, CEO of the 2020 Republican National Convention, told Cooper they sought assurances that a "full convention" entailing 19,000 individuals would be allowed inside the Spectrum Center. The uptown arena is expected to be the site of most RNC events and activities.
The RNC was awarded to Charlotte two years ago and is scheduled to run Aug. 24-27. But the current global health crisis has resulted in businesses shuttered and mass cancelations of events as restrictions on gatherings remain across the state and country. Some 50,000 people have previously been estimated to attend this year's RNC, including delegates, media and other visitors.
In his response Tuesday, Cooper referenced "earlier acknowledgements" made by RNC leaders that "a successful and safe convention would need to be scaled back to protect the health of participants as well as North Carolinians." Kelly told reporters during an RNC media event in April that while the RNC was moving “full steam ahead," it would likely look different because of health precautions, including delegates and other attendees wearing face coverings.
"Unfortunately, it appears that has now changed," Cooper wrote. "We still want a safe RNC convention in Charlotte that follows the health guidelines set forth in the (Center for Disease Control's) interim guidance regarding mass gatherings."
Cooper went on to say that, in conversations with President Donald Trump, he has commended him for not holding political rallies since March "because of the serious health risk that they would cause."
In tweets sent Memorial Day weekend, Trump threatened to pull the convention from Charlotte if capacity limits would not allow Republicans to host a full-scale convention. The letter sent by McDaniel and Kelly this weekend gave a June 3 deadline for assurances that a full convention could be held in Charlotte in late August.
A Politico report early Tuesday said RNC officials are exploring other cities for possible alternate convention sites, including Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; and Las Vegas.
McDaniel said in a statement Tuesday the RNC has "an obligation to our delegates and nominee" to begin visiting multiple cities and states that have reached out about hosting the event.
"We have now communicated to Gov. Cooper's office multiple times that we would like to showcase Charlotte and the wonderful state of North Carolina to the world by hosting the convention we contracted for nearly two years ago," McDaniel said. "It is unfortunate that the governor is dragging his feet on giving us any guidance as to how to move forward with plans to safely conduct our convention while generating hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue for the people of Charlotte and North Carolina."
An RNC spokeswoman said the convention "intends to conduct the business of the Republican party" in Charlotte and "will continue to make health and safety a top priority."
North Carolina is in phase 2 of Cooper's Covid-19 economic reopening plan, which limits mass gatherings to 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors. Restaurants, breweries and salons have been allowed to reopen, but at 50% capacity and with new protocols in place. Phase 2 is expected to run through the end of June at minimum.
Bars and event spaces are among the businesses not allowed to reopen in phase 2 restrictions. McDaniel and Kelly said in their letter that hotels, bars and restaurants should be permitted to operate at full capacity during the RNC.
"We are happy to continue talking to you about what a scaled-down convention would look like and we still await your proposed plan for that," Cooper wrote Tuesday. "We also await answers to the safety questions posed by our state Health and Human Services secretary, specifically regarding social distancing and face coverings.
"With the nation, the state of North Carolina and the city of Charlotte still under states of emergency, it's important to conduct the RNC convention accordingly," Cooper said. "As much as we want the conditions surrounding Covid-19 to be favorable enough for you to hold the convention you describe in late August, it is very unlikely. Neither public health officials nor I will risk the health and safety of North Carolinians by providing the guarantee you seek."