National Republicans hold their first-ever midterm convention in Dallas this week, as the party hopes to gain momentum ahead of the November election.
The two-day convention begins Wednesday at the American Airlines Center. President Donald Trump is set to headline both nights, and other Republican leaders from inside and outside of Texas — including Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who ran as a Democrat but later switched parties — are expected to use the event to promote the party’s agenda, raise money and energize voters.
The convention comes at a time when Republicans are trying to counter Democratic momentum heading into November, said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University.
“Many people think Republicans will lose control of the U.S. House, maybe of the Senate, which would make Trump’s last two years very difficult,” Jillson said. “So this convention is a bid to gin up enthusiasm among Republican voters to increase the chances that they turn out in large numbers in November.”
The Republican National Committee has described the gathering as a chance to showcase candidates and policy priorities, including tax cuts and stricter immigration enforcement. The RNC also described it as a “Trumpapalooza.”
Unlike a traditional presidential convention, the gathering will not include nomination balloting or the adoption of a party platform. Instead, it will function largely as a campaign event focused on the upcoming midterms.
Resident Daniel Laabs called the convention “pointless.”
“I guess Ken Paxton is in trouble on the polling,” Laabs said, referring to the closely watched U.S. Senate race between Republican Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. Both candidates are within striking distance of each other in the polls, though a Democrat has not won statewide in Texas in decades.
While Dallas was once a Republican city, it’s now a Democratic stronghold, and the convention is expected to draw crowds of protestors.
For Democrats in Dallas, the Republican gathering is also a chance to emphasize their own message to voters.
Kardal Coleman, chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party, said the Republicans’ decision to bring the convention to Dallas shows the import role Texas will play in the election.
“It means that Texas is in play and it shows us just how important this election cycle is,” Coleman said. “Donald Trump himself and their entire organization is willing to show up, not only in Texas, but in Dallas.”
Democrats are expected to focus their outreach on issues including affordability, health care, child care and homeownership. Texas Democrats also plan to hold two news conferences each day near the convention grounds. Talarico is scheduled to host a “Love Thy Neighbor” grocery drive.
Jillson expects the political attention surrounding the convention could be significant in the short term, but its impact on the broader election may be harder to measure.
“It will be a national story for a couple days,” said Jillson. “The second day of the convention, President Trump is expected to speak, and so that will likely be carried by some of the major channels, if not all of it. But then quickly, the convention would go away, and you’ll be on a sprint of little more than a month to Election Day itself.”
Dylan Duke and Emmanuel Rivas are KERA’s breaking news reporters. Got a tip? Email Dylan at dduke@kera.org or Emmanuel at erivas@kera.org.
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