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Host Committee Co-Chair Ray Washburne speaks Aug. 5 about the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention at American Airlines Center.<\/p>\n
Tom Fox\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
In just 27 days, the private group seeking support for President Donald Trump\u2019s Republican convention<\/a> in Dallas says it raised $45 million to help stage the two-day event next month.<\/p>\n The Dallas 2026 Host Committee<\/a> said contributions came from individuals and companies in Dallas, across Texas and nationwide. Like similar committees, it did not name donors or say how much each group gave.<\/p>\n Ray\u00a0Washburne, a developer and committee co-chair, said the group had \u201cmet its fundraising goals\u201d and looked forward to \u201ccelebrating everything Dallas\u201d at the GOP gathering Sept. 9\u201310 at American Airlines Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cDonors were excited to support this historic event coming to Dallas since it is another way to showcase a vibrant downtown, our expertise in hosting large, high-profile events and our Texas hospitality,\u201d he told The Dallas Morning News.<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong> Who pays Dallas costs at Trump convention?<\/a><\/p>\n The fundraising total marks a major milestone as organizers work to turn Trump\u2019s late-June announcement<\/a> into a production that will put Dallas at the center of national politics.\u00a0<\/p>\n The committee said the money it raised will help promote Dallas, support its economy and local businesses, defray local government costs and put on a safe event. It has not provided a breakdown of how the funds will be divided among those purposes or said whether they will cover the city\u2019s full costs.<\/p>\n Dallas officials plan to track their expenses<\/a>, but have not said who they would ask to repay the city or how much Dallas could recover.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The nonprofit committee can accept donations of any size, which may be tax-deductible. It said in an email to The News it will not disclose its donors, which is typical for committees that host Republican and Democratic nominating conventions.<\/p>\n Consumer advocacy groups have long pressed political parties to identify convention donors and sponsors, saying the public should know who is paying and what access or other benefits contributors receive.<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong> Dallas\u2019 last GOP convention left taxpayers a bill. What about this one?<\/a><\/p>\n Unlike the national conventions held every four years to nominate a presidential ticket, the September event will conduct no party business. Instead, it\u2019s meant to rally supporters, boost GOP candidates and promote Trump\u2019s policies before the November elections<\/a>.<\/p>\n Although programming has not been released, organizers promise the feel of a traditional convention, with speeches from Trump and other leading Republicans, entertainment and \u201cdelegates\u201d seated by state in the arena.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Donor firepower<\/p>\n Organizers of traditional conventions often spend several months to two years raising donations to support national political conventions. The speed and scale of the Dallas fundraising effort did not surprise those familiar with the Republican donor network.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there’s one thing that I know is that if the Republicans need to raise $30 million to $40 million, they can do it,\u201d said Andrew\u00a0Cates, a San Antonio-based attorney who specializes in legislative and campaign law. \u201cThey’ve got a good bench of funders that are ready to put in millions or multimillion dollar contributions as needed.\u201d<\/p>\n Washburne, who is former finance chairman for the Republican National Committee, said the convention will draw more than 20,000 people from across the country and generate more than $50 million in local economic impact. The committee, in its email, did not provide an analysis behind those estimates.<\/p>\n He added the committee will recruit more than 1,500 volunteers to help put it on<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n