US President Donald Trump has announced that Republicans will hold their first-ever national convention ahead of the midterm elections, in an unusual move aimed at lifting voter turnout in contests that will decide whether the party keeps control of Congress.
The convention will be held in Dallas on September 9 and 10. With Republicans holding only slim majorities in Congress and the party in power usually losing ground in midterm polls, the event is meant to focus attention on a wide range of House and Senate races at a time when Trump himself will not be on the ballot.
Trump has floated the idea of such a gathering for some time, arguing that it could help change the electoral dynamic for his party. He has been talking about it since last year, and said in a social media post that Republicans would use the event “to show the great things we have done since the Presidential Election of 2024.”
The stakes are high for Republicans in the midterms. If Democrats regain control of either chamber of Congress, they would be able to block Trump’s agenda and launch investigations into his administration during the final two years of his term. Republican leaders are concerned that, without Trump on the ballot, it may be difficult to galvanise their voters.
Holding the convention in Texas also throws a spotlight on the state’s Senate race between Democratic nominee James Talarico and Republican nominee Ken Paxton. Paxton, the state attorney general, defeated long-serving Senator John Cornyn in this year’s primary with Trump’s backing. But Republican Senate leaders fear that Paxton’s history of scandals, including an extramarital affair, an impeachment and a securities fraud case that did not lead to a conviction, could hurt his candidacy and turn a winnable race into a drain on party resources.
The Texas venue also underlines the continuing effects of Trump’s mid-decade redistricting push, which began in the state and was aimed at securing more seats for Republicans in this autumn’s elections. The Republican National Committee had begun preparing for such an event earlier this year, when it voted at its winter meeting in January to amend procedures that had been centred on presidential nominating conventions held every four years.
Democrats had also considered holding a similar gathering before the midterms, but put the idea on hold. The party had, however, held such conferences in the 1970s and 1980s. The Dallas convention is being pitched by Trump and Republicans as a way to sharpen focus on key midterm races and energise voters before a high-stakes battle for control of Congress.
With PTI Inputs
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