The state legislature agreed to open a convention on December seventeenth.

VOA: special.2009.07.16

In an open convention situation, that runner up will now try to claim the mantle.

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He did the next best thing, engineering an open nominating convention in which more than 12, 000 delegates were free to vote for any candidate.

CNN: Change at the Top

About 23, 000 of the downtown area's 28, 000 hotel rooms are open, according to the convention and visitor's bureau.

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