# List of Republican National Conventions

This is a list of Republican National Conventions. The quadrennial convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States.

## List of Republican National Conventions

Note: Conventions whose nominees won the subsequent presidential election are shaded in pink.
| Dates | Year | Location | State | Temporary Chair | Permanent Chair | Number of Ballots | Presidential Nominee | Vice Presidential Nominee |
| June 17–19 | 1856 | Musical Fund Hall; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Robert Emmett of New York | Henry S. Lane of Indiana | 2 | John C. Frémont of California | William L. Dayton of New Jersey |
| May 16–18 | 1860 | Wigwam; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | David Wilmot of Pennsylvania | George Ashmun of Massachusetts | 3 | Abraham Lincoln of Illinois | Hannibal Hamlin of Maine |
| June 7–8 | 1864$^1$ | Front Street Theatre; Baltimore, Maryland | Maryland | Robert Breckinridge of Kentucky | William Dennison of Ohio | 1 | Abraham Lincoln of Illinois | Andrew Johnson of Tennessee |
| May 20–21 | 1868$^2$ | Crosby's Opera House; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | Carl Schurz of Missouri | Joseph R. Hawley of Connecticut | 1 | Ulysses S. Grant of Illinois | Schuyler Colfax of Indiana |
| June 5–6 | 1872$^2$ | Academy of Music; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Morton McMichael of Pennsylvania | Thomas Settle of North Carolina | 1 | Ulysses S. Grant of Illinois | Henry Wilson of Massachusetts |
| June 14–16 | 1876 | Exposition Hall; Cincinnati, Ohio | Ohio | Theodore M. Pomeroy of New York | Edward McPherson of Pennsylvania | 7 | Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio* | William A. Wheeler of New York* |
| June 2–8 | 1880 | Interstate Exposition Building; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | George F. Hoar of Massachusetts | George F. Hoar of Massachusetts | 36 | James A. Garfield of Ohio | Chester A. Arthur of New York |
| June 3–6 | 1884 | Exposition Hall; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | John R. Lynch of Mississippi | John B. Henderson of Missouri | 4 | James G. Blaine of Maine | John A. Logan of Illinois |
| June 19–25 | 1888 | Auditorium Theatre; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | John M. Thurston of Nebraska | Morris M. Estee of California | 8 | Benjamin Harrison of Ohio* | Levi P. Morton of New York* |
| June 7–10 | 1892 | Industrial Exposition Building; Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minnesota | J. Sloat Fassett of New York | William McKinley of Ohio | 1 | Benjamin Harrison of Ohio | Whitelaw Reid of New York |
| June 16–18 | 1896 | St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall; St. Louis, Missouri | Missouri | Charles W. Fairbanks of Indiana | John M. Thurston of Nebraska | 1 | William McKinley of Ohio | Garret Hobart of New Jersey |
| June 19–21 | 1900 | Convention Hall; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Edward O. Wolcott of Colorado | Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts | 1 | William McKinley of Ohio | Theodore Roosevelt of New York |
| June 21–23 | 1904 | Chicago Coliseum; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | Elihu Root of New York | Joseph G. Cannon of Illinois | 1 | Theodore Roosevelt of New York | Charles W. Fairbanks of Indiana |
| June 16–19 | 1908 | Chicago Coliseum; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | Julius C. Burrows of Michigan | Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts | 1 | William Howard Taft of Ohio | James S. Sherman of New York |
| June 18–22 | 1912 | Chicago Coliseum; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | Elihu Root of New York | Elihu Root of New York | 1 | William Howard Taft of Ohio | James S. Sherman of New York$^3$ |
| June 7–10 | 1916 | Chicago Coliseum; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | Warren G. Harding of Ohio | Warren G. Harding of Ohio | 3 | Charles Evans Hughes of New York | Charles W. Fairbanks of Indiana |
| June 8–12 | 1920 | Chicago Coliseum; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts | Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts | 10 | Warren G. Harding of Ohio | Calvin Coolidge of Massachusetts |
| June 10–12 | 1924 | Public Auditorium; Cleveland, Ohio | Ohio | Theodore E. Burton of Ohio | Frank W. Mondell of Wyoming | 1 | Calvin Coolidge of Massachusetts | Charles G. Dawes of Illinois |
| June 12–15 | 1928 | Convention Hall; Kansas City, Missouri | Missouri | Simeon D. Fess of Ohio | George H. Moses of New Hampshire | 1 | Herbert Hoover of California | Charles Curtis of Kansas |
| June 14–16 | 1932 | Chicago Stadium; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | Lester J. Dickinson of Iowa | Bertrand Snell of New York | 1 | Herbert Hoover of California | Charles Curtis of Kansas |
| June 9–12 | 1936 | Public Auditorium; Cleveland, Ohio | Ohio | Frederick Steiwer of Oregon | Bertrand Snell of New York | 1 | Alf Landon of Kansas | Frank Knox of Illinois |
| June 24–28 | 1940 | Convention Hall; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Harold Stassen of Minnesota | Joseph W. Martin of Massachusetts | 6 | Wendell Willkie of New York | Charles L. McNary of Oregon |
| June 26–28 | 1944 | Chicago Stadium; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | Earl Warren of California | Joseph W. Martin of Massachusetts | 1 | Thomas E. Dewey of New York | John W. Bricker of Ohio |
| June 21–25 | 1948 | Convention Hall; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Dwight Green of Illinois | Joseph W. Martin of Massachusetts | 3 | Thomas E. Dewey of New York | Earl Warren of California |
| July 7–11 | 1952 | International Amphitheatre; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | Walter S. Hallanan of West Virginia | Joseph W. Martin of Massachusetts | 1 | Dwight D. Eisenhower of New York | Richard Nixon of California |
| August 20–23 | 1956 | Cow Palace; Daly City, California | California | William F. Knowland of California | Joseph W. Martin of Massachusetts | 1 | Dwight D. Eisenhower of Pennsylvania | Richard Nixon of California |
| July 25–28 | 1960 | International Amphitheatre; Chicago, Illinois | Illinois | Cecil Underwood of West Virginia | Charles Halleck of Indiana | 1 | Richard Nixon of California | Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. of Massachusetts |
| July 13–16 | 1964 | Cow Palace; Daly City, California | California | Mark Hatfield of Oregon | Thruston Morton of Kentucky | 1 | Barry Goldwater of Arizona | William E. Miller of New York |
| August 5–8 | 1968 | Miami Beach Convention Center; Miami Beach, Florida | Florida | Edward Brooke of Massachusetts | Gerald Ford of Michigan | 1 | Richard Nixon of New York | Spiro Agnew of Maryland |
| August 21–23 | 1972 | Miami Beach Convention Center; Miami Beach, Florida$^4$ | Florida | Ronald Reagan of California | Gerald Ford of Michigan | 1 | Richard Nixon of California | Spiro Agnew of Maryland |
| August 16–19 | 1976 | Kemper Arena; Kansas City, Missouri | Missouri | Bob Dole of Kansas | John J. Rhodes of Arizona | 1 | Gerald Ford of Michigan | Bob Dole of Kansas |
| July 14–17 | 1980 | Joe Louis Arena; Detroit, Michigan | Michigan | Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas | John J. Rhodes of Arizona | 1 | Ronald Reagan of California | George H. W. Bush of Texas |
| August 20–23 | 1984 | Dallas Convention Center; Dallas, Texas | Texas | Howard Baker of Tennessee | Bob Michel of Illinois | 1 | Ronald Reagan of California | George H. W. Bush of Texas |
| August 15–18 | 1988 | Louisiana Superdome; New Orleans, Louisiana | Louisiana | Elizabeth Dole of Kansas | Bob Michel of Illinois | 1 | George H. W. Bush of Texas | Dan Quayle of Indiana |
| August 17–20 | 1992 | Astrodome; Houston, Texas | Texas | Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas | Bob Michel of Illinois | 1 | George H. W. Bush of Texas | Dan Quayle of Indiana |
| August 12–15 | 1996 | San Diego Convention Center; San Diego, California | California | George W. Bush of Texas Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey | Newt Gingrich of Georgia | 1 | Bob Dole of Kansas | Jack Kemp of Maryland |
| July 31–August 3 | 2000 | First Union Center; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Trent Lott of Mississippi | Dennis Hastert of Illinois | 1 | George W. Bush of Texas* | Dick Cheney of Wyoming* |
| August 30–September 2 | 2004 | Madison Square Garden; New York City, New York | New York | Linda Lingle of Hawaii | Dennis Hastert of Illinois | 1 | George W. Bush of Texas | Dick Cheney of Wyoming |
| September 1–4 | 2008 | Xcel Energy Center; Saint Paul, Minnesota | Minnesota | Mitch McConnell of Kentucky | John Boehner of Ohio | 1 | John McCain of Arizona | Sarah Palin of Alaska |
| August 27–30 | 2012 | Tampa Bay Times Forum; Tampa, Florida | Florida | Mitch McConnell of Kentucky | John Boehner of Ohio | 1 | Mitt Romney of Massachusetts | Paul Ryan of Wisconsin |
| July 18–21 | 2016 | Quicken Loans Arena; Cleveland, Ohio | Ohio | Mitch McConnell of Kentucky | Paul Ryan of Wisconsin | 1 | Donald Trump of New York* | Mike Pence of Indiana* |
| August 24–27 | 2020 | Charlotte Convention Center; Charlotte, North Carolina (Day 1) Various locations remotely (Days 2–4)$^5$ | North Carolina | Mitch McConnell of Kentucky | Kevin McCarthy of California | 1 | Donald Trump of Florida | Mike Pence of Indiana |
| July 15–18 | 2024 | Fiserv Forum; Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Mitch McConnell of Kentucky | Mike Johnson of Louisiana | 1 | Donald Trump of Florida | J. D. Vance of Ohio |
| TBD | 2028 | Toyota Center; Houston, Texas | Texas | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
*Won the election despite losing the popular vote.
$^1$This convention was known as the National Union Convention.
$^2$This convention was known as the National Union Republican Convention.
$^3$Sherman, who had been elected vice president in 1908, died six days before the 1912 election; he was subsequently replaced as Republican vice-presidential nominee by Nicholas M. Butler of New York.
$^4$Originally scheduled for the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California and for August 14–16.
$^5$Originally scheduled for the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, but the venue was changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Keynote speakers

* 1884 – U.S. Representative John R. Lynch of Mississippi (thought to be the first keynote speaker)
* 1916 – U.S. Senator Warren G. Harding of Ohio
* 1920 – U.S. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts
* 1924 – U.S. Representative Theodore Burton of Ohio
* 1928 – U.S. Senator Simeon Fess of Ohio
* 1932 – U.S. Senator Lester Dickinson of Iowa
* 1936 – U.S. Senator Frederick Steiwer of Oregon
* 1940 – Governor Harold Stassen of Minnesota
* 1944 – Governor Earl Warren of California
* 1948 – Governor Dwight Green of Illinois
* 1952 – General Douglas MacArthur of Wisconsin
* 1956 – Governor Arthur Langlie of Washington
* 1960 – U.S. Representative Walter Judd of Minnesota
* 1964 – Governor Mark Hatfield of Oregon
* 1968 – Governor Daniel Evans of Washington
* 1972 – RNC Co-Chair Anne Armstrong of Texas
* 1976 – U.S. Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee
* 1980 – U.S. Representative Guy Vander Jagt of Michigan
* 1984 – U.S. Treasurer Katherine Ortega of New Mexico
* 1988 – Governor Thomas Kean of New Jersey
* 1992 – U.S. Senator Phil Gramm of Texas
* 1996 – U.S. Representative Susan Molinari of New York
* 2000 – No officially designated keynote speaker; U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona and General Colin Powell of Virginia were featured speakers.
* 2004 – U.S. Senator Zell Miller of Georgia (a Democrat, Miller is first speaker from the opposite party to address a national convention as keynoter)
* 2008 – Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York
* 2012 – Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey
* 2016 – No officially designated keynote speaker; multiple "headliners" each night
* 2020 - U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina

## Gallery of convention sites

* Interior of the Exposition Hall of Cincinnati during the 1876 convention
* Illustration of the 1888 convention
* Inside of the 1896 convention hall
* 1900 Republican convention
* 1904 convention hall during the opening prayer
* Coliseum set-up for the 1916 convention
* Inside the 1920 convention hall
* 1964 convention in Daly City, California
* First Lady Pat Nixon addresses the 1972 convention
* Ronald Reagan giving his 1980 acceptance speech
* George Bush is joined by his running mate and family at the 1988 convention
* Laura and George Bush with Dick and Lynne Cheney during the 2004 convention
* Floor of the 2008 convention.
* 2012 convention
* 2016 convention