President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press
The Republican extravaganza planned in Dallas this fall could cost as much as $40 million, but it remains unclear how much of the cost will fall on taxpayers, the event’s co-chair said.
The first-of-its-kind midterm convention — dubbed the “Trump-a-palooza” — will be privately funded by donors, but whether Dallas will receive reimbursement for police, fire, traffic control and other public services needed to host the event at the city-owned American Airlines Center is up in the air.
The potentially hefty price tag comes as Republicans are fundraising ahead of what is expected to be an expensive midterm election in November. The U.S. Senate race between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic Texas House member James Talarico is already costly.
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Dallas developer and prominent Republican donor Ray Washburne told The Dallas Morning News that he has not seen a final budget but expects the two-day event to cost between $30 million and $40 million.
Washburne, the event’s co-chair, estimates about 20,000 people would attend each night.
City officials didn’t respond Thursday to questions about whether Dallas has committed funding, personnel or other public resources to the Sept. 9 and 10 convention. The city also didn’t say whether it has developed preliminary cost estimates.
A nonprofit host committee, which will include people from the area, is expected to be announced next week. That committee will cover some costs for hosting the event, according to Rick Gorka, who identified himself as a convention spokesman.
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The number of GOP donors in Dallas may have helped attract the event, said Tami Brown Rodriquez, the former chair of the Dallas County Republican Party.
“All of the candidates from all over the nation raise money here in Dallas, and it is the biggest hook for raising funds for nominees,” she said. “Historically, all the candidates come here. There’s so much wealth in Dallas. It’s a great, great location to do that.”
Brown Rodriquez said local Republicans are still waiting to learn how tickets would be distributed, whether attendance would be limited to donors and if the gathering would be used partly for fundraising.
Picking between cities
The RNC started discussing possible host cities after amending its rules in January to allow a midterm convention.
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Dallas and Las Vegas were the main contenders, Gorka said. To his knowledge, no other Texas city was considered.
The city’s hotels, airports, arena and experience handling major events helped Dallas stand out.
Gorka toured American Airlines Center last week and said he was confident organizers could prepare for the convention despite the short timeline.
“We do big events all the time, and the folks we do these conventions with are veterans of multiple conventions,” he said. “It also helps that Dallas is a great city with the infrastructure to make it happen.”
Washburne said he and Visit Dallas CEO Craig Davis pitched Dallas to national Republicans earlier this year, focusing on the city’s economic growth, available hotel rooms and the size of the arena.
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“This was presented as a short-term revenue-intensive opportunity for us and we were able to make the case that Dallas made the most sense for them, more than any other city in consideration,” Davis said.
Events of this size may qualify for local and state incentives and assistance. Incentives depend on how many hotel rooms are reserved and actually used. He said such incentives are commonly available to large groups and would not be a special arrangement for Republicans.
Washburne declined to identify anyone else involved in the local pitch. He said former RNC Chairman Reince Priebus led the national selection process and the RNC made the final decision.
Gorka said such decisions typically reach the White House.
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“It’s safe to say we wouldn’t be in Dallas if the president wasn’t supportive of the convention being in Dallas,” he said.