EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Indiana Republican Party leaders have decided to hold next year’s state convention in Evansville.

State GOP chairman Kyle Hupfer announced Friday that the June 2018 convention will be at the downtown Ford Center arena. It will be the second time that Indiana Republicans have held their state convention outside Indianapolis as the 2014 session was in Fort Wayne.

The Republican and Democratic parties hold state conventions every two years to nominate candidates for the statewide general election. The 2018 conventions will pick nominees for secretary of state, state treasurer and state auditor.

Republican Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke says the city will roll out the red carpet for the expected 1,700 convention delegates.