President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are headed to Dallas this week as Republicans bring their first-ever midterm convention to Texas.
The Republican National Committee's first midterm convention is scheduled for Sept. 9-10 at American Airlines Center, according to the Republican Party of Texas. Trump is expected to speak both nights, with a keynote address Wednesday and closing remarks Thursday, while Vance is expected to headline the second night.
The president and vice president are just two of more than 100 speakers slated for the convention; others include Gov. Greg Abbott, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The timing is noteworthy as the convention is being held less than two months before the November midterms, giving Republicans a national stage in Texas as the party tries to rally voters around its candidates and message.
"For the first time, Republicans are convening a midterm convention to celebrate the accomplishments of President Donald J. Trump, showcase the strength of the Republican Party and its slate of candidates, and unite Americans around a bold vision for the future," the Texas GOP event listing states.
The event also arrives as Texas' U.S. Senate race continues drawing national attention. Paxton, the Republican nominee, is running against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. Trump recently identified the Texas Senate race as one of the contests where he plans to campaign ahead of the midterms, according to previous Chron reporting.
"All you have to do is talk about it, and you're going to win and you're going to win big," Trump told Republican lawmakers last week. He also said he planned to campaign in roughly 35 races that could help determine control of Congress.
CBS Austin reported Wednesday's event is expected to draw about 20,000 people, with security preparations already affecting parts of downtown Dallas around American Airlines Center. The outlet reported people entering parts of the security perimeter will go through checkpoints, road closures are planned and DART's Victory Station will close during the convention.
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This article originally published at Trump, Vance headed to Dallas for GOP's first midterm convention.