For the first time in its history, CPAC will be held in Florida.
The American Conservative Union announced Tuesday that its signature confab is moving from the Beltway to the Sunshine State, which is known for its event-friendly novel coronavirus rules.
“CPAC believes that Florida is the right state to host CPAC 2021,” ACU chairman Matt Schlapp said in a statement to Fox News.
CPAC 2021 is scheduled for Feb. 25-28 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando after being held since its launch in 1974 in the greater Washington, D.C., area, including for the last eight years at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
The Gaylord has been closed since March for the novel coronavirus pandemic, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has refused to shut down his state.
The conference will be held in-person and mostly indoors. Orange County has a mask mandate, but Mr. DeSantis in September lifted enforcement of local facial-covering requirements.
“In addition to being a model on how to run a clean election without widespread illegal voting, thanks to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (ACUF Lifetime Rating: 99%) commonsense leadership, Florida has kept its economy, schools and churches open — while balancing the health and safety of Floridians,” said Mr. Schlapp.
ACU communications director Ian Walters said that organizers believe they can host the conference in a “safe and responsible way,” and will follow the rules set by the state and Orange County.
In 2020, nearly 20,000 people attended CPAC, billed as “the largest and most influential gathering of conservatives in the world.”
EXCLUSIVE: 2021 CPAC to be held in person in Florida https://t.co/Wd2mzpVatN
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 8, 2020
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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