Fewer than half of vulnerable congressional candidates have speaking roles at GOP convention

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The Republican midterm convention kicked off Wednesday, with fewer than half of the candidates in the most competitive congressional races due to speak at the event that's intended to give the party's candidates a boost ahead of the November election.
A CNBC analysis of the 45 most competitive House and Senate races this year found 19 of the candidates are slated for speaking spots at the two-day convention in Dallas.
Among those who are due to precede President Donald Trump's keynotes both nights are GOP Senate candidates Michael Whatley from North Carolina and Ken Paxton from Texas, Sen. John Husted from Ohio and Rep. Mike Collins from Georgia are scheduled to speak Wednesday. All four candidates are either locked in tight races or trailing their Democratic opponents in the polls.
On Thursday, the lineup includes incumbent Reps. Ryan Mackenzie, of Pennsylvania, and Mike Lawler, of New York, and Derek Merrin and Eric Flores, challengers to Democratic incumbents in Ohio and Texas, respectively. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter ranks each of those races "toss up." Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate for Senate in Michigan — one of those most competitive Senate contests in the country — is also on the agenda.
A large number of vulnerable Republicans are also opting to skip the convention altogether, according to MS NOW. The event is running up against a glut of logistical and planning issues, including the first games of the 2026 National Football League season taking place the same two days.
A midterm convention is unusual outside of a presidential election year, when candidates are formally nominated. The GOP has sagged in polls for months ahead of the contest, which will determine control of Congress for the remainder of Trump's term.
Top Republican congressional leadership figures are also scheduled to speak Wednesday, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo.
A handful of rank-and-file House members who are up for reelection will also speak at the event, such as Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., Brandon Gill, R-Texas, and Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., and Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican candidate for governor of Florida, will also deliver an address.
Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., who is not up for reelection this year, will appear alongside "Members of Pennsylvania's Steel and Manufacturing Industries."
A parade of Trump officials will also appear at the event, including Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Blanche's appearance at a political event is likely to raise eyebrows, especially after the president's former personal attorney's fierce confirmation battle centered on his political activities.

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