Texas U.S. Senate Race

Representatives from the Republican National Committee recently toured the American Airlines Center in Dallas as they consider hosting a first‑of‑its‑kind national midterm convention ahead of the November 2026 elections. Arena general manager Dave Brown said he provided GOP officials with capacity figures — up to 20,000 for a concert and 16,000 for large conventions — and scheduling details for late summer and early fall, but emphasized that no deal is in place. In a statement, RNC senior adviser Danielle Alvarez framed the planned midterm gathering as a product of President Donald Trump’s 'leadership' and said any reporting on location or dates remains speculative until contracts are signed. SMU political scientist Matthew Wilson told CBS News Texas that the choice of Dallas would underscore how competitive Republicans view the Texas U.S. Senate race, in which Democrat James Talarico will face the winner of a GOP runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton. With Trump’s polling numbers slipping and history showing the president’s party usually loses congressional seats in midterms, Wilson said Republicans are looking to use a high‑profile convention to stoke base enthusiasm and turnout, especially in Texas.