A sign is displayed in front of the American Airlines Center ahead of the 2026 Republican National Committee (RNC) midterm convention in Dallas, Texas on September 8, 2026.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
The Republican Party’s midterm convention opens Wednesday, with fewer than half of the candidates in the most competitive congressional races scheduled to speak at the event, which aims to give the party’s candidates a boost ahead of the November election.
A CNBC analysis of 45 of this year’s most competitive House and Senate races found that 19 of the candidates are scheduled to speak at the two-day convention in Dallas.
Among those scheduled to speak ahead of President Donald Trump’s keynote speech on both nights are Republican Sens. Michael Whatley of North Carolina and Ken Paxton of Texas, and on Wednesday, Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio and Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia. All four candidates are in close races or are trailing their Democratic rivals in the polls.
Texas Republican Senate candidate Attorney General Ken Paxton attends the opening day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on September 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.
Kevin Dietch | Getty Images
Thursday’s lineup includes incumbent Reps. Ryan McKenzie of Pennsylvania and Mike Lawler of New York, as well as Reps. Derek Mellin and Eric Flores, challengers to Democratic incumbents in Ohio and Texas, respectively. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter ranks each of these races as a “toss-up.” Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate for Michigan State Senate, is also on the agenda in one of the most competitive Senate races in the country.
According to MS NOW, many vulnerable Republicans are also choosing to skip the convention altogether. The event is fraught with operational and planning issues, including the fact that the first game of the 2026 National Football League season will be held on the same two days.
It is unusual for a midterm party convention to be held outside of a presidential election year, when candidates are formally nominated. Republicans have been languishing in the polls for months ahead of races that will determine control of Congress for the remainder of President Trump’s term.
Top Republican congressional leaders are also scheduled to speak Wednesday, including House Minority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), House Minority Leader Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Senate Majority Leader John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).
Several rank-and-file members of Congress who are up for re-election will also speak at the event, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas), Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pennsylvania), and Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.). Republican Florida gubernatorial candidate Congressman Byron Donald will also speak.
Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania), who is not up for re-election this year, will appear along with “members of Pennsylvania’s steel and manufacturing industry.”
The event will also feature a parade of Trump administration officials, including Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Blanche’s appearance at a political event is likely to raise eyebrows, especially after a fierce endorsement battle centered on the president’s former personal lawyer’s political activities.
