President Donald Trump has unveiled plans for an unprecedented Republican gathering focused on the upcoming midterm elections, marking the first time the party has ever held a national convention outside of a presidential campaign year.
The event is scheduled to take place in Dallas on September 9 and 10, bringing together Republicans to rally support ahead of critical House and Senate contests.
Traditionally, major national conventions are reserved for presidential election years, but Trump has been floating the idea of a midterm-focused gathering for some time. In a social media post, he described the event as an opportunity “to show the great things we have done since the Presidential Election of 2024.”
The stakes are significant. If Democrats manage to flip control of either chamber of Congress, they would have the power to block Trump’s policy agenda and open investigations into his administration during the final two years of his presidency.
Republicans currently hold only narrow majorities in Congress, and historically, the party in the White House tends to lose seats during midterm elections. Without Trump’s name on the ballot, GOP leaders are worried about keeping their base motivated to turn out and vote.
Holding the convention in Texas also draws attention to that state’s Senate race, where Democratic nominee James Talarico faces off against Republican nominee Ken Paxton. Paxton, the state’s attorney general, defeated longtime Sen. John Cornyn in a primary earlier this year with Trump’s support. However, Republican Senate leaders have expressed concern that Paxton’s troubled past — which includes an extramarital affair, an impeachment, and a securities fraud case that did not result in a conviction — could hurt his chances and strain party resources in what should be a winnable race.
The convention also shines a light on Trump’s mid-decade redistricting effort, which began in Texas and was aimed at securing additional Republican seats in this fall’s elections.
The groundwork for the event was laid earlier this year when the Republican National Committee voted at its January winter meeting to amend its procedures — which had previously centered solely on presidential nominating conventions — to allow for this type of midterm gathering.
Democrats explored holding a similar event ahead of the midterms but ultimately decided against it. The Democratic Party did hold comparable conferences back in the 1970s and 1980s.
