Republicans are struggling to secure attendance for their first-ever two-day midterm convention in Dallas, just a week before it opens, with several high-profile candidates in key battleground races declining to attend. House Speaker Mike Johnson has been urging Republicans to turn out and promising appearances from Donald Trump and JD Vance, but the party's efforts appear to be falling flat among some of the candidates it most needs to energise ahead of November's elections.

Notable absentees include Michigan gubernatorial hopeful John James, Ohio Representative Max Miller (who faces domestic abuse allegations from his ex-wife) and preparations behind the scenes have also been rushed, with the American Airlines Center only available for setup after a circus performance ended on 30 August. Attendance for members of Congress reportedly costs between $25,000 and $100,000, while the Dallas 2026 host committee has raised $45 million in under a month to stage the event. Separately, investigators say a fake convention-related website was traced to a creative agency linked to a former Obama campaign figure, and the site later redirected to the Department of Justice's Epstein files.