The list of cities contending to host the 2016 Republican National Convention is down to four, with Las Vegas and Cincinnati both withdrawing their bids .  

The Republican National Committee’s site selection committee held a conference call Thursday to officially select Cleveland, Dallas, Denver and Kansas City to receive official site visits from members of the committee. The timing for those visits will be announced later.  

“All cities excelled in nearly every aspect of their bids and presentation this year, but these four cities stood out from the field from the start of this process and deserve a deeper look by the full committee,” selection committee chairwoman Enid Mickelsen said in a statement.  

According to an RNC release, Cincinnati and Las Vegas both withdrew their bids based on issues with their respective sports arenas. For Las Vegas, a likely delegate favorite, one of the concerns was whether it would be able to accommodate the requisite on-site preparatory time as it builds a new arena.  

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