GOP Breaks Tradition With First-Ever Midterm Convention

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Michigan News Source) — A new kind of convention is coming to the Republican Party. The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced the programming and speaker lineup for the 2026 Republican Convention, scheduled for Sept. 9–10 in Dallas, Texas. The gathering is noteworthy because it is the Republican Party's first national convention held during a midterm election year. MORE NEWS: Labor Day Reality Check: How Many Michiganders Are Actually Working? RNC officials said the party's message to voters is simple: Republicans represent mainstream ideas, while Democrats have embraced a fringe agenda. 'This election comes down to one simple choice: lower costs, lower taxes, secure borders, and common sense versus higher taxes, wide-open borders, and the radical liberal agenda the Democrat Party has fully embraced,' RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said. 'Republicans are the party of hardworking, patriotic Americans who believe in a fair day's pay, safe streets, secure borders, and a government that gets out of our way and lets Americans win again.' Gruters added, 'Democrats have chosen a different path. They have chosen a path hijacked by the radical Left and defined by their most extreme, out-of-touch, anti-American views. Come November, the American people are going to see this choice clearly, and they are going to deliver a landslide for common sense.' The dozens of scheduled speakers include Michigan U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Rogers and Republican congressional nominee Michael Bouchard, who is running for the 10th Congressional District seat being vacated by GOP gubernatorial nominee John James.