Brooklyn native and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is moving Democrats across the bridge.

In a formal proposal submitted Friday, de Blasio urged the Democratic Party to hold the 2016 Democratic National Convention, during which the newest Democratic presidential candidate will be announced, in the Barclays Center located in New York City’s largest borough.

“The values of the Democratic Party – inclusion, diversity, compassion – are part of our city’s spirit,” said de Blasio in a letter to Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the DNC. “We believe that this spirit can energize and captivate both the Democratic Party and the nation.”

Historically overshadowed by Manhattan, this bid – if successful – will highlight the growing effort in New York City to dedicate time and attention to the more frequently overlooked boroughs. Not only that, but hosting the Democratic National Convention in Brooklyn could also be seen as a strong statement by the Democratic Party to move away from centrist policies of the past few years. New York City is already a predominately liberal area, and the recent tendency for major political parties is to host their national conventions in swing states where they hope their presence might more heavily affect the vote.

However, there is debate over whether this practice is valid – especially as some argue that holding the convention in New York City would be a strategic error on behalf of the Democratic Party. Looking at recent elections compared to the host cities of the national conventions, this debate is relatively unfounded. In the 2012 election, Republicans held their convention in Tampa but lost the state to the Democrats. The 2008 election saw Republicans hosting their convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, and once again the Republicans lost the state to the Democrats. New York City was the host to the 2004 Republican National Convention, and Republicans lost the state to the Democrats. Conversely, in those election years Democrats won the state where they hosted the Democratic National Convention with the exception of the 2012 convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Six cities have bid to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention, including Birmingham, Alabama; Columbus, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; and New York City.

“Hosting a party convention is a true honor,” said Wasserman Schultz, “and we’re thrilled with all the fantastic options that we have going into the next cycle.”

After evaluations, the final decision will be made later this year or in early 2015.

The Republican Party is currently considering Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Columbus, Ohio; and Kansas City, Missouri to play host to the 2016 Republican National Convention.