RNC plans to hold a midterm convention later this year

The RNC voted Friday to amend its bylaws to clear the way for a GOP midterm convention ahead of the November 2026 elections. Party conventions are typically only held in Presidential years.

President Trump and other senior Republican officials have been pushing for a gathering to highlight the party’s agenda heading into a challenging midterm environment.

Two cities are currently being floated to hold the convention; Dallas and Las Vegas. A senior GOP source said the convention would likely take place in early fall, rather than the summer, when Presidential-nominating conventions usually occur.

“If we are going to defy history, we got to do things outside the box, and one of the things is highlighting all the great things the President has done over the first year, RNC Chairman Ron Gruters said in a brief interview with CBS News. Gruters added that President Trump is “by far the best messenger that we’ve ever had.”

The President has frequently lamented that the party in the White House tends to struggle in midterms, but has said that the GOP can break that trend. The RNC also voted that they would honor Charlie Kirk at the convention.

The last time went an entire 4 year term where his party controlled the House and Senate was Jimmy Carter, from 1977-1981. George W Bush would have had this as well, but early in June 2001, Vermont Republican Jim Jeffords became an Independent who caucused with the Democrats, flipping the Senate majority back to Democrats, before the 2002 midterms, in which Republicans won back the Senate majority.

Republicans also have a very narrow House majority, 220-215 at the start of the 119th Congress, which is down to 218-213 after resignations and deaths for both Republicans and Democrats. A net loss of 3 seats in the House would lose the GOP control of the chamber.

Nevertheless, President Trump and Republicans remain confident that they can buck the trend of the party in the White House having a poor midterms, and hope their midterm convention can give them just the boost they need.