Democrats pick Denver for 2008 convention

WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) The Democratic Party picked Denver today to host its 2008 national convention, where delegates will select a candidate for the race to succeed President George W Bush.

Denver won the right to host the convention over runner-up New York City after months of negotiations that overcame concerns about labor, financial and logistic issues with the Denver bid.

The convention will be held in Denver's Pepsi Center on August 25-28 in 2008. Republicans already announced their convention will be in Minneapolis-St. Paul on September 1-4.

Democrats were anxious to hold the gathering in Colorado to capitalize on recent political growth in the West, where they now hold governorships from Montana to Arizona and gained ground in November in state legislatures and the US Congress.

''There is no question that the West is important to the future of the Democratic Party,'' Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said in a statement announcing the choice.

Democrats have targeted the West as a potential growth spot for the party's presidential candidates, with Colorado and Nevada emerging as potential battlegrounds in 2008.

''The recent Democratic gains in the West exemplify the principle that when we show up and ask for people's votes and talk about what we stand for, we can win in any part of the country,'' Dean said.

A decision had been delayed while Democrats worked out problems with Denver's bid, including the refusal of the local stagehands union to sign a no-strike pledge if the convention was held at the nonunionized Pepsi Center.

There also were concerns about Denver's ability to raise the needed cash and hotel space to accommodate the approximately 35,000 convention guests.

New York had more hotels and convention space, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg was reluctant to put up the money for the gathering after the city hosted the 2004 Republican national convention.

About 50 members of Congress, including Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, had written to Democratic officials to support Denver's bid. Local businesses in Denver chipped in to raise some of the 20 million dollars needed from the business community to help finance the gathering.

Denver has hosted large, media-intensive gatherings before, including a visit by Pope John Paul II in 1993 and the Summit of the Eight conference in 1997. It made unsuccessful bids for conventions in 2000 and 2004.

This will be the second time Denver has hosted a presidential nominating convention. The Democrats met there in 1908 to nominate William Jennings Bryan, who lost to Republican William Howard Taft.

REUTERS BDP RN2315