Live updates: Republicans descend on Dallas for Trump’s midterm convention
By Texas Tribune Staff, The Texas Tribune
September 8, 2026
Here’s what you need to know
GOP’s “Trumpapalooza” convention to kick off Wednesday in Dallas
Republicans are gathering in Dallas this week for their first ever midterm convention, putting Texas at the center of the political world during the state’s most competitive election cycle in years.
The two-day gathering, at the American Airlines Center on the edge of downtown, will feature Texas’ top GOP elected officials and candidates, including Attorney General Ken Paxton, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Republican nominees in key battleground districts will also address the convention, as will President Donald Trump, who is closing out both nights — Wednesday and Thursday — with speeches.
National Republicans have branded the event as a “Trumpapalooza,” with a clear goal of energizing GOP voters during a difficult midterm environment — especially the MAGA types who have proven unreliable when Trump is not on the ballot. Republicans are also hoping to stock their campaign coffers during the convention, with five-figure ticket costs and fundraisers throughout the week.
Read more from the Tribune’s story previewing the event.
— Gabby Birenbaum and Kayla Guo
Paxton to run new ad during convention featuring AI-generated Talarico
Attorney General Ken Paxton rolled out an AI-generated ad aimed at convention watchers Tuesday, highlighting controversial comments his opponent James Talarico has made, alongside a fundraising appeal.
The ad features an AI-generated Talarico coloring in a Bible and saying altered versions of the Austin Democrat’s past comments about his interpretation of Christianity. Republicans have seized on many of these remarks throughout Talarico’s U.S. Senate run.
“In the beginning, God was nonbinary, and he wasn’t a Christian — and God said, let there be six genders,” the AI-generated version of Talarico says in the ad.
Talarico said in a 2021 speech that God is nonbinary, which he characterized later as a provocative comment meant to indicate that God is beyond gender. In a debate over transgender athletes in the Texas House in 2021, Talarico said, “modern science recognizes that there are many more than two biological sexes — in fact, there are six.”
The Democrat referred to the comments Republicans have clipped as “cringey” earlier this year, saying some “missed the mark.”
The 30-second spot includes a QR code in the corner linking to Paxton’s WinRed fundraising page. The Republican has significantly lagged Talarico in both fundraising and campaign spending; Paxton raised $9 million in the second quarter of 2026 to Talarico’s $30 million.
Paxton’s campaign said the ad will air nationwide on Newsmax, a conservative television network, during the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas.
“His views are an insult to millions of faithful Texans, and it’s time for his extremist views to be exposed,” the attorney general said in a statement.
This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.
