GOP opens first midterm convention in Dallas with Trump as centerpiece

Republicans are converging on Dallas this week for the party's first-ever midterm convention, a high-stakes gamble that President Donald Trump can mobilize the voters the GOP needs to protect its narrow control of Congress. With less than two months until the midterm elections and early voting just weeks away, the party is leaning on its most proven turnout machine to counter energized Democrats and political history that favors the opposition.

Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters made the strategy explicit on the eve of the gathering. «We are putting the president on the ballot,» he said. «That's exactly what we're doing with this midterm convention.» The event, which runs through Thursday at the American Airlines Center, is designed to showcase Trump's second-term achievements and drive turnout among supporters who do not always vote when his name is absent from the ballot.

Trump is scheduled to deliver the keynote address Wednesday evening and return Thursday night to close the convention, following Vice President JD Vance's second-night speech. The speaker list, shared with Fox News Digital before the event, includes numerous candidates in competitive races, reflecting the party's effort to tie its fortunes directly to the president's appeal.

The convention marks a break from tradition. Democrats and Republicans typically hold large nominating gatherings only during presidential election years. Trump floated the idea of a midterm version a year ago, and the party embraced it as a way to spotlight policy wins such as the Working Family Tax Cuts, fair trade measures, and what Gruters described as $19 trillion in long-term investments. «We have the best showman in politics in President Donald J. Trump,» Gruters said. «He is the best vote getter for these little propensity voters. He's done it three times. He's going to deliver once again.»

The GOP faces formidable obstacles. The party in power historically loses congressional seats in midterm elections, and Republicans are defending slim majorities in both the House and Senate. Persistent inflation at grocery stores, high gas prices tied to an unpopular war with Iran, and Trump's negative approval ratings add to the challenge. Gruters acknowledged the difficulty, saying, «In order to defy history, you've got to do things a little bit differently and that's why we're doing this Republican convention.»

Democrats are watching from the sidelines with sharp criticism. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, whose party decided against holding a similar convention and remains in debt, framed the GOP event as a distraction. «While working families struggle to make ends meet in Donald Trump's economy, Republicans are throwing a multi-million dollar party to celebrate Trump's failing presidency,» Martin said in a statement. He argued that Democrats are focused on lowering costs, expanding affordable health care, and offering «real solutions» to voters.

The DNC has also pointed to the number of Republican politicians skipping the Dallas gathering. Gruters dismissed the no-shows, noting that many candidates in tight races chose to stay home but that the speaker list includes plenty of toss-up contenders who understand the value of the message. «There's some people in tight races, they want to stay home,» he said. «But listen, if you look at our speaker list, we have tons of those toss-up candidates that are here that are going to speak.»

Republicans aim to use the convention to frame the election as a choice rather than a referendum. Gruters said speakers will ask Americans whether they want «common sense and mainstream» or «the extreme left and these radicals that have been elected who fundamentally want to change our country.» The party also enters the fall with a significant financial edge, as the RNC holds a major campaign cash advantage over the DNC. «We've been raising a lot of money. We've been saving that money,» Gruters said. «Now over the next 60 days you're going to see us spend that money to make sure we could turn out our voters.»

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Delaney Sawyer

Society Reporter

Delaney Sawyer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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