President Donald Trump is billing the Republican National Committee’s first midterm convention as a two-day show of party unity. Yet some of the GOP candidates with the most at stake in November have decided their time is better spent somewhere other than Dallas.
The unusual gathering runs Wednesday and Thursday at the American Airlines Center, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance serving as its biggest draws. More than 100 Republican candidates and elected officials are expected to participate, and party leaders say the event will promote the administration’s record while energizing voters ahead of the midterms.
But several Republicans fighting for political survival have made a different calculation: They would rather stay close to the voters who will decide their races.
Vulnerable Republicans Stay On The Campaign Trail
CBS News contacted 60 Republican candidates in competitive House, Senate and gubernatorial contests. Only four confirmed that they planned to attend, while five said they would not.
The remaining 51 did not respond, meaning the survey is not a definitive count of the convention’s no-shows. Still, the confirmed absences include several Republicans in closely watched races.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, whose Pennsylvania district Trump carried by fewer than 300 votes in 2024, offered one of the bluntest explanations: “Our bosses are back home.”
He told CBS News that voters are struggling with household budgets, health care and business costs—and that elected officials should be listening to them instead of standing inside a convention hall.
Colorado Rep. Gabe Evans similarly said his focus would remain on constituents in his highly competitive district north of Denver.
Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar said she needed to campaign in Miami, telling the network, “No one votes for me in Washington or in Dallas.”
Other Republicans sitting out the event reportedly include Reps. Zach Nunn of Iowa and Tom Barrett of Michigan, both of whom are running in districts rated as toss-ups. Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said he planned to spend the time speaking with constituents about concerns that include affordability.
Even Vance has acknowledged that attending may not be the best move for every candidate. He told reporters that Republicans in close races should do whatever helps them make their case to voters, whether that means appearing in Dallas, campaigning at home or raising money.
A $25,000 Price Tag Sparked Confusion
Time away from the campaign trail is only part of the story.
The National Republican Congressional Committee initially asked House members to contribute at least $25,000 for a convention package. According to Axios, it included two tickets, a hotel room and admission to a welcome reception. Larger contributions came with additional benefits, including access to events with party leaders.
The party later exempted members in the NRCC’s “Patriot” program for vulnerable incumbents, but Axios reported that some lawmakers remained confused about who was required to pay.
Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett called the price “pretty steep,” while Texas Rep. Jake Ellzey said some members believed the money would be more useful in their own campaigns.
NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson pushed back on the idea that lawmakers were being shut out, telling CBS News that he distributed 2,000 free tickets to members and staff. Hudson described the dispute as confusion between ordinary admission and optional fundraising packages.
For donors, the asking price climbed much higher. CBS News reported that an RNC email offered packages beginning at $15,000, with premium options reaching $150,000. Those sums have fueled complaints from some party figures who question the value of a costly late-summer spectacle so close to Election Day.
Trump’s Spotlight Creates A Strategic Divide
The convention’s heavy focus on Trump is another factor for candidates trying to hold politically divided districts.
The president has urged supporters to behave as though he were on the ballot, and the RNC says the Dallas gathering is designed to translate his ability to mobilize loyal voters into turnout for Republican candidates.
That strategy has obvious appeal in reliably Republican territory. Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde told CBS News the convention would give the party an opportunity to highlight its record and draw a contrast with Democrats.
Candidates in swing districts face a more complicated choice. Appearing beside Trump could excite core Republican voters, but it could also make it harder for an incumbent to keep the focus on local concerns or appeal to independents.
That helps explain why the event’s speaker list includes competitive-seat Republicans such as Reps. Mike Lawler of New York, Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, Monica De La Cruz of Texas and Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania—even as other vulnerable members stay home.
There is also tension over the convention’s apparent emphasis on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is locked in a competitive Senate race against Democrat James Talarico.
Trump said Paxton would be a central focus of the event, while CBS News reported that some major Texas donors remain aligned with Sen. John Cornyn, whom Paxton defeated in a bitter Republican primary.
A Test Of Competing Midterm Strategies
The Dallas gathering is not a traditional nominating convention. No presidential candidate will be formally selected, and the party is not meeting to adopt a new national platform.
Instead, it is a made-for-television rally, fundraising event and turnout operation built around Trump and the Republican record.
RNC spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre said its purpose is to rally voters around the president, his agenda and GOP candidates. Convention host committee chairman Ray Washburne has argued that attendees will gain valuable access to donors, administration officials and other party leaders.
For candidates skipping Dallas, however, the political logic is more immediate: With Election Day approaching, a day spent at a town hall, local business or neighborhood event may be more valuable than a night beneath the convention balloons.
