President Donald Trump arrives Monday to speak at a lunch in the White House Rose Garden.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Associated Press
WASHINGTON – A team of prominent business and civic leaders will lead fundraising and planning as Dallas moves to host the first Republican midterm convention, one of the city’s biggest political events in decades.
The Dallas 2026 Host Committee is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization formed to welcome visitors, support local businesses, offset costs for local governments and promote the region.
The announcement marks the most significant step since President Donald Trump picked Dallas for the Sept. 9-10 convention at the American Airlines Center. It is expected to draw thousands of Republican delegates, donors, elected officials and activists ahead of the November elections.
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In a news release Wednesday, the committee named its co-chairs: former Republican National Committee finance chairman and Dallas developer Ray Washburne and his wife, Republican fundraiser Heather Washburne; Dallas entrepreneur and investor Kenny Troutt and his wife, philanthropist Lisa Troutt; and former Trump administration official Trent Morse.
Former RNC Chairman Reince Priebus will act as a senior adviser as the group leads efforts to raise money for the Host Committee.
“Our city has a long tradition of hosting major events, and we look forward to welcoming guests while highlighting the businesses, people, and hospitality that make Dallas such a special place,” said Ray Washburne, chairman of Sunoco and vice chairman of Dallas-based family investment company Gillon Capital.
The co-chairs also said the convention will showcase Dallas to the nation while boosting local businesses.
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“The midterm convention is about much more than two days of meetings,” Lisa Troutt said in the release. “It is an opportunity to support our local economy, strengthen our community’s reputation as a premier destination for major events and introduce millions of people to everything Dallas and Texas have to offer.”
Morse worked on the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and served in various roles during the first Trump administration.
Party officials have described the gathering as “Trumpapalooza,” saying it is intended to rally Republicans and build enthusiasm ahead of the November elections.
Democrats, meanwhile, have dismissed it as a political “circus” meant to distract voters from what they describe as the GOP’s lack of concern for affordability and working families.
Fundraising focus
Although Trump and other Republicans have described the gathering as a “convention,” Texas GOP Chair D’rinda Randall said earlier this week it will function more as a fundraiser.
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“It’s a convention rally,” Randall said. “But it’s not your typical convention. There is no party business that will be done.”
The state party released a flyer this week showing three tiers of contributions that offer donors different levels of access to the event.
A $20,000 donation secures “honorary delegate” status with floor seats, while $15,000 comes with “honorary alternate delegate” credentials and “priority access seating.”
Both packages come with a hotel room for the two-day convention, as well as a Texas flag-inspired shirt and cowboy hat.
The bottom tier of $5,000 comes with an “honorary guest” credential and an unspecified “convention gift.”
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Advocates for getting big money out of politics have criticized such arrangements for reinforcing perceptions that wealthy individuals have outsized influence over elected officials.
The RNC has referred questions about credentialing Texas Republicans to the state party.
Randall said the RNC has entrusted them with that process, providing an allocation of credentials to distribute as they wish.
“They are letting the state parties use this as a fundraiser for themselves to get ready for the midterms, which is awesome because nobody on the Democrat side can cause this much excitement,” Randall said. “We do have that with President Trump, which is awesome.”
Randall has said many of the details, including the number of credentials and the pricing, remain fluid.
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Disclosure rules
D.C.-based campaign finance lawyer Brett Kappel said state parties face a limit of $10,000 that they can accept from an individual per year if they are using that money to support federal candidates.
The party is required to disclose donations, although those disclosures won’t necessarily be marked as tied to the convention.
National conventions typically are for determining presidential nominees, but the Dallas event is being used in part to raise attention and money for the party’s midterm candidates, including Senate candidate Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general.
Kappel noted that Trump announced this gathering shortly after the Supreme Court struck down a law limiting how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates.
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The party is unlikely to face enforcement action from the Federal Election Commission if it does cross any lines, as the agency doesn’t have enough members to reach the required quorum.
Local costs
Dallas hasn’t released a cost estimate for hosting the Republican convention or said whether organizers or federal agencies would reimburse the city for police, fire, traffic control and other services.
City spokesman Rick Ericson said in a statement last week that Dallas officials were coordinating with partner agencies and had held multiple conversations with the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service, but had no other information to share.
Ericson said the city had “nothing new to report” as of Tuesday.
Ray Washburne previously told The Dallas Morning News he estimated the event could cost $30 million to $40 million and said it would be privately funded by donors.
Randall did not return a text message and phone call Tuesday seeking further information about credentials and donations.
She previously said the gathering is “strictly a fundraiser” intended to finance the midterms and rally the troops ahead of the November contests and the word “convention” is being tossed around because the president used it.
“He is the king of marketing,” she said. “We just ride the wave of President Trump and go in the direction that he decides to go.”
Staff Writer Everton Bailey Jr. in Dallas contributed to this report.