Hurricane Florence forces delay of key decision for the 2020 GOP convention in Charlotte

How strong is Hurricane Florence? So strong it’s even affecting an event that won’t happen for two more years.

The Republican National Committee was expected to set the dates for the 2020 GOP convention this weekend. It will be Charlotte’s second national political convention in six years.

But the expected disruption of Florence will push back the announcement, according to the convention’s head organizer.

“Everybody thought that with the focus on the hurricane we shouldn’t be focused on the dates,” said Toni Anne Dashiell, head of the party’s Committee on Arrangements.

She said the party will instead announce the dates “on or before Oct. 1.”

The convention will be held July or August 2020. Democrats already have scheduled their 2020 convention for July 13-16. Republicans may wait until after the summer Olympics, which run from July 24-Aug. 9.

This story was originally published September 12, 2018 at 12:50 PM.