President Trump's GOP is eyeing a rare move: a midterm convention, likely in Dallas, aimed at jump-starting Republican turnout ahead of the November election. Two people familiar with the planning say Dallas has emerged as the favorite over cities like Las Vegas, reports the New York Times, with a tentative post-Labor Day date to sync with early voting. The general manager of the American Airlines Center in Dallas confirmed to the Dallas Morning News that senior RNC officials had toured the venue late last month. The event would break with the usual once-every-four-years convention rhythm and function as a large-scale rally to showcase Republican candidates and the "America First" agenda.
"The upcoming Midterm Convention is happening because of President Trump's leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to the America First movement," said RNC adviser Danielle Alvarez, who confirmed that no contracts have yet been signed. House Speaker Mike Johnson has already hyped it as "a midterm like none other." A Dallas gathering would also spotlight Texas, where Republicans are defending a critical Senate seat currently held by John Cornyn.
Democrats ultimately passed on staging their own midterm convention. They contend the GOP is putting on an expensive, Trump-centric spectacle that "will sink their swing-seat candidates by tying them directly to Trump's wildly unpopular policies," per DNC chief Roger Lau. The RNC, however, has a massive financial edge: it reported about $102 million in cash as of February, compared with the DNC's $15.2 million and $17.5 million in debt.