The Republican midterm convention is headed to Dallas Sept. 9-10 for what some GOP leaders are calling a \u201cTrumpapalooza\u201d and \u201ctruly historic.\u201d<\/p>\n
September\u2019s convention will be the first time in more than 40 years to be hosted in Dallas, now a Democratic-majority city, as opposed to its neighboring city Fort Worth. Dallas was considered a strong Republican city the last time a convention was hosted in 1984.<\/p>\n
Fort Worth has historically been a GOP-friendly city in a county governed by a conservative majority.<\/p>\n
It raises the question: Why bring the convention to Dallas rather than Fort Worth?<\/p>\n
One reason could be because of Dallas\u2019 large media market, said Brian Mayes, a Dallas political consultant.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has everything to do with just access to media and trying to get as much media coverage as possible,\u201d Mayes told KERA News. \u201cThey’re looking for eyes on TV, not necessarily bodies in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dallas-Fort Worth\u00a0was ranked fourth biggest media market last year<\/a>, with majority outlets based in Dallas.<\/p>\n Tarrant County Republican Party Chairman Tim Davis previously told the\u00a0Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/a>\u00a0he received several phone calls about the convention once it was announced it was headed to North Texas.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve gotten phone calls from every person on our ballot, it feels like every member of our executive committee asking \u2018How do I get in? Well, how do I participate in that convention?\u2019\u201d Davis told the Star-Telegram. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of excitement for that convention.\u201d<\/p>\n Along with this being the first time the Republican National Committee hosts a convention during a midterm election year, Republicans could be trying to encourage voter turnout this year with close races like the one between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico for the U.S Senate, according to Mayes.<\/p>\n Texas hasn\u2019t elected a Democrat to a statewide position in more than three decades \u2013 but early numbers show that could change this November as some express concerns over \u201cextremist views\u201d within the GOP party, Mayes said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe polls are showing that every Republican at the top of the ticket is in a dog fight to win,\u201d Mayes said about the state races. \u201cAnd normally that’s not the case in the state of Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n The convention, usually occurring every four years, will be hosted\u00a0during a midterm election year<\/a>\u00a0in a time where\u00a0President Donald Trump\u2019s popularity sits lower<\/a>\u00a0than his first presidential term.<\/p>\n But in counties across Texas, including Tarrant County, there\u2019s been occasional signs of trending purple as voters in recent elections have narrowly supported Democratic candidates in other races, including Democratic Sen. Taylor Rehmet\u2019s landslide\u00a0victory<\/a>\u00a0in the northern half of Tarrant County for the Texas Senate District 9 seat in January.<\/p>\n That could be due to the shift in what GOP leadership prioritizes, said Cal Jillson, political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.<\/p>\n In recent years,social conservatism has been at the forefront, and economic issues are secondary from Republican leaders, leaving some voters questioning whether these leaders still align with their own values, Jillson said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’ve got an electorate that is looking at the Republican Party with Paxton as its face and saying, \u2018am I still on board with this? Or am I increasingly nervous, and might I look for an alternative?\u2019\u201d Jillson said. \u201cAnd a lot of people, I think, are undecided at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n Dallas has also been a core fundraising site for the GOP Party, Jillson said.<\/p>\n