Charlotte city leaders touched down in Texas Thursday ready to talk business with the Republican National Committee.
Earlier this week, the site selection committee voted to bring the Republican National Convention (RNC) to the Queen City in 2020. A final vote is expected Friday.
Jonathan Barnett is on the committee that voted unanimously for Charlotte to host the major event. NBC Charlotte asked him what particularly stood out about the Queen City's bid.
"Your city has several Democrats on the city council, and there was some leadership that put forth starting with your mayor, your business community and some of your political leaders," said Barnett.
Sarah Reidy-Jones of the Mecklenburg County Republican Party agreed.
"I think it shows just how bi-partisan and how we can work across the aisle and how we can showcase the best of Charlotte," Jones said.
Dr. Ada Fisher, a Republican National Committeewoman born and raised in North Carolina, was also among the crowd.
"Charlotte's a very nice city. It'll be important for the RNC to come to Charlotte. There are many misconceptions that people have about the Republican party and what we stand for. So it would be nice for people to see us at our best behavior. And we are a party that will pay our bill and not leave anybody like Duke energy in the whole," said Dr. Fisher.
The Charlotte City Council voted 6-5 Monday to accept contracts to host the Republican National Convention in 2020. When the bid was formally submitted in April, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority CEO Tom Murray said in a statement that hosting the RNC will not only generate "substantial economic impact" but also place the Queen City on a national stage.
Protesters have been a fixture at President Donald Trump's events and RNC would be no exception. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police spokesperson Rob Tufano said it's still too early to comment about how much, if any, CMPD's started planning for the event.