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Pennsylvania draws short straw for Democratic National Convention housing

The Fiserv Forum, the site of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, is seen in Milwaukee, Wisc., on March 11, 2019.
KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/Getty
The Fiserv Forum, the site of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, is seen in Milwaukee, Wisc., on March 11, 2019.
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Housing upwards of 50,000 delegates, elected officials, donors, volunteers and reporters during the political conventions held every four years is no easy task. There’s only so many hotel rooms, and some state delegations are going to end up with a long daily bus ride.

At next year’s Democratic convention in Milwaukee, count Pennsylvania’s delegates among those who should prepare to buckle up for a lengthy commute.

Pennsylvania’s Democratic delegates won’t even be staying in Wisconsin — they’ll be across the state line in Lake County, Ill., according to published reports confirmed by state Democrats. That means a drive of at least an hour to get to and from the convention arena.

The delegation is among 26 that will be staying in Illinois, while 31 delegations will be in the Milwaukee area, according to a list obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The rest of Pennsylvania’s geographic neighbors will be staying in Wisconsin. But the Journal-Sentinel noted that several big-state delegations — including California, Florida and Texas — will be staying even further south, near Chicago’s O’Hare airport, due to the concentration of large hotels there.

Is the hotel placement a slam to a key swing state? A spokeswoman for the state Democratic Party declined to comment on the housing assignment, saying the delegates will be excited to meet with fellow Democrats and rally behind their presidential nominee.

Evie Rafalko-McNulty, a Democratic National Committeewoman from Scranton, took an optimistic view, suggesting that a prime spot on the convention floor could help make up for the distant hotel location.

Washington correspondent Laura Olson can be reached at lolson@mcall.com or 202-780-9540.