Ray Washburne, a Republican donor co-chairing the convention with his wife, told Reuters he expected about 30,000 attendees, a figure that would exceed the seating capacity of the American Airlines Center in Dallas by some 8,000 people. He said organizers raised $42 million and will fully fund the event.
The timing, just at the start of the school year, could pose challenges for some attendees. One state party chair told Reuters he had returned many of his delegation's allotted seats after members said they could not make the schedule work.
While declining to provide a complete speaker list, Washburne said most of Trump's cabinet secretaries would attend, along with "pretty much everyone running in a hot race." Vice President JD Vance will speak on September 9, followed by Trump on September 10.
Dave Wilson, a South Carolina-based Republican strategist, said he was skeptical a rally-style convention would move the needle unless it was used to unveil a major response to voters' top concern: the cost of living.
"I don't know that we're going to see a convention in Dallas change what happens in Cheyenne, Wyoming, or Charleston, South Carolina," Wilson said, invoking places far from the convention to illustrate his point. "I don't think the average Republican voter even knows there's a convention going on."
Candidates seek donors and spotlight
Though it falls outside the traditional four-year presidential election cycle, the convention is expected to serve a familiar purpose as a fundraising and networking hub for candidates and donors. The RNC has already launched a website selling official convention hats, T-shirts and mugs.
Washburne said the event would give candidates significant media exposure to promote their campaigns. U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton of Texas, whose campaign has been dogged by scandal, was someone who could benefit from the attention generated by a convention in his home state, Washburne added.
With Trump's approval rating at 33%, some Republicans questioned the wisdom of the event. One strategist working on a competitive race, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it made little sense to tie candidates more closely to Trump when many are trying to focus on local issues and win over independent voters.
Oscar Brock, an RNC member from Tennessee, said many candidates would feel obliged to attend the Dallas gathering to court donors and raise their profiles through media appearances, even as some remain wary of embracing Trump.
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