In just over two months, Republicans will convene in Dallas for the party\u2019s first ever national midterm convention, a move Texas political experts say highlights the state\u2019s growing importance in the fight for control of Congress.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the event in a Truth Social post, calling Dallas one of his \u201cfavorite places in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump billed the convention it as a time for Republicans to celebrate the “successes of the American People who transformed our Country through the America First Agenda” and build momentum for the November elections.<\/p>\n
Trump himself is expected to speak at the event, which the party says will serve as the launchpad for Trump\u2019s \u201cbarnstorming\u201d tour of the country to rally voters in the final weeks before the Election Day.<\/p>\n
The convention is scheduled for Sept. 9 and 10 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. It will be the first time Republicans have held a national convention in Dallas since 1984.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s noteworthy, in part, because the Republican National Convention is usually only held every four years during presidential election cycles, instead of during the midterms.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we’re going to defy history we\u2019ve got to do things a little differently,” said Florida State Senator Joe Gruters, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, in an interview<\/a> with The Dallas Express.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019ve got the best showman that\u2019s ever existed in your party you have to put him front and center,\u201d he added.Trump\u2019s announcement comes at a pivotal time for Republicans nationally, as the party works to defend its narrow majority<\/a> in the U.S. House. At the same time, the GOP is also trying to hold onto a U.S. Senate seat in Texas in a race that has unexpectedly become one of the nation’s most closely watched<\/a> this year.<\/p>\n Recent polling in the U.S. Senate race<\/a> between Democratic Texas House member James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton, the state\u2019s current attorney general, shows the candidates running neck and neck.<\/p>\n These numbers have forced the GOP to spend more time and resources <\/a>in Texas \u2014 an unfamiliar position for the party, since the Lone Star State has reliably voted Republican for decades. No Democrat has been elected to a statewide office for more than thirty years.<\/p>\n Texas\u2019 U.S. Senate race alone is expected to be the most expensive contest of the 2026 midterms. AdImpact, a company that analyses and tracks political spending, estimates spending in the race will eclipse $440 million by November (Republicans already spent nearly $130 million<\/a> on the race during primary season).<\/p>\n Texas takes center stage ahead of the 2026 midterms <\/p>\n So, why bring this first-of-its kind midterm GOP convention to Texas? Austin-based Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser calls it a natural choice: The state offers Trump one of the party’s largest and most enthusiastic audiences while also helping Republicans motivate their voters here. <\/p>\n “President Trump wants to come to a state that voted for him twice…that will guarantee a big, lively crowd for him,” Steinhauser told The Texas Newsroom. “It’s an even better time to do it now because there is a competitive Senate race.”<\/p>\n University of Texas at San Antonio political scientist Jon Taylor has a different take.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re worried about losing,\u201d said Taylor. To him, the decision shows Republicans are seriously concerned about Texas being more competitive<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThey’ve seen the public polls out there, you know, showing Talarico with a slight lead or tie and such like that,\u201d Taylor told The Texas Newsroom. \u201cMy guess: Their internal polling is scaring them.\u201d<\/p>\n Steinhauser disputed that characterization and argued Texas has long been one of the Republican Party’s strongest organizing states.<\/p>\n But both Taylor and Steinhauser do agree that the convention \u2014 especially featuring an appearance by Trump \u2014 could help energize the state\u2019s Republican voters. That\u2019s particularly important during a midterm election. Historically, when the party voters align with already holds the presidency, it\u2019s proved more challenging to get them to the ballot box.<\/p>\n \u201cFor Republicans worried about mobilization, Donald Trump is one of the biggest mobilizing factors for Republican voters,\u201d said Joshua Blank, a political scientist at the University of Texas at Austin.<\/p>\n This year, Blank said every one of those voters is important.<\/p>\n