Updated on: June 30, 2026 / 6:31 PM EDT
/ CBS/AP
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President Trump has announced that Republicans will hold their first-ever national convention in Dallas ahead of the midterm elections. It's an unusual event aimed at boosting turnout in races that will decide whether the party maintains control of Congress. The convention will be held on Sept. 9 and 10. The last time the Republican Party held a convention in Dallas was 1984. Although both major parties traditionally hold blockbuster conventions during presidential campaigns, Mr. Trump has long floated the idea of a similar gathering this year to focus voters' attention on a sprawling collection of House and Senate races. If Democrats regain control of either chamber, they will be empowered to block Mr. Trump's agenda and launch investigations into his administration for the final two years of his term. Republicans have only slim majorities in Congress, and the party in power normally loses ground in the midterms. And without Mr. Trump on the ballot, Republican leaders worry that it could be hard to galvanize their voters.Mr. Trump hopes the convention would help change that dynamic, and he's been talking about it since last year. He floated 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."Locating the convention in Texas places a spotlight on the state's Senate race, which pits Democratic nominee James Talarico against Republican nominee Ken Paxton.
