President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the Republican Party will stage its first-ever national convention during a midterm election year, a two-day event scheduled for Sept. 9-10 in Dallas that breaks with the longstanding tradition of holding conventions only in presidential election cycles.
Trump confirmed the plans in a Truth Social post, describing the gathering — which he said would feature “Great Entertainment” — as “a truly Historic Event” that “has never been done before.” The president first floated the idea last year, arguing it would provide an opportunity to showcase his administration’s achievements since returning to the White House in 2024.
The Republican National Committee earlier this year amended its rules to allow for a national convention outside the four-year presidential cycle, clearing the way for the Dallas event. The Democratic National Committee has not made a similar move, with party officials saying they prefer to spend resources on building local and state infrastructure as they seek to win back control of Congress.
The convention comes as Republicans face electoral challenges. Trump’s national approval ratings remain low, dragged down by negative views of his handling of the economy, and voters favor Democrats in the race for Congress. The president retains strong influence among the Republican base, which the party will need to turn out in large numbers, but vulnerable incumbents in districts where Trump is unpopular — including over his policies on Iran and immigration — face difficult races.
Choosing Texas for the event puts a direct focus on the state’s high-stakes Senate race. Republican nominee Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, won Trump’s endorsement in the GOP primary, ultimately defeating the long-serving incumbent John Cornyn. Paxton faces Democratic nominee James Talarico, a state representative and Presbyterian seminarian, in what a New York Times/Siena College poll released this week showed as a toss-up. Democrats have not won a statewide race in Texas in decades.
The decision to hold the convention in Texas also reflects the reverberations of Trump’s push for mid-decade congressional redistricting, which began in Texas as an effort to strengthen Republicans’ prospects in November.