Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was in Washington DC Friday to make Houston's case to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Houston is one of only three cities still in the running for the mid-summer gathering. Miami and Milwaukee are submitting bids. Denver was also considered a finalist, but withdrew.
Supporters on Houston City Council say the convention would help hotels and tourist attractions during the slow summer months.
The city's bid got an additional boost from former President George H.W. Bush, who wrote in part, "Our facilities and hotels are world-class, but it's really our people - the spirit of our fellow Houstonians - that makes the key difference. No one works harder; no one is friendlier or more welcoming."
Despite the endorsement, Bush also stressed he was not endorsing whoever might claim the DNC nomination.
Houston last hosted the DNC in 1928 and the Republican National Convention in 1992.
The Democratic National Committee will pick the host city in January. The city is expected to submit a bid to host the RNC again in 2024.