It’s not just about Cleveland proper. There are lots of connected suburbs between Cleveland and Akron that are critical. The burbs around Columbus and Cinci aren’t even close to the burbs around Cleveland.
Think: Solon, Twinsburg, Hudson, Mentor, Lakewood, Strongsville, North Ridgeville, Willoughby, etc. We all call ourselves “Clevelanders” as far south as Akron.
Holding a convention in “Northeast Ohio” would be a better way to put it. With Ohio being a swing state, targeting Northeast Ohio is a very smart move.
Think Dayton, Covington, etc. When I noted that Cincinnati had a larger metro area — and it does —, I was using a source that counted Dayton as a separate metro area. If you include Akron, however, you have to include Dayton.