The Republican National Committee (RNC) will give members of the public a chance to attend its September midterm convention in Dallas through a ticket lottery launching on Saturday, marking the first time a party convention has been opened to the American people in this way.
The ticket request lottery will go live August 15 at gopconvention.com, where Americans can request tickets for September 9, September 10, or both days of the convention.
The midterm convention is set to be the largest convention, midterm or otherwise, since 2016, with a capacity of more than 20,000 attendees, including media.
Those selected through the lottery will be notified September 4 and will have 24 hours to claim their tickets. Some attendees will receive special VIP front-row tickets, while many others will receive unprecedented access to the convention and the opportunity to attend an event featuring President Donald Trump.
Attendees will also have access to the convention’s victory plaza, which will feature surprise guests, entertainment, food, drinks, and what organizers describe as a celebratory environment unlike any convention in history, centered around a celebration of America.
The convention is also opening additional opportunities for Americans to participate through its volunteer program. Organizers are seeking 750 volunteers per day from the Dallas, Texas, area, and the volunteer application link will also go live Saturday.
The convention is expected to frame the midterm elections as a contrast between what Republicans describe as “common sense” and “crazy,” highlighting the Working Families Tax Cuts, a secure border, the crackdown on fraud, and a historic drop in crime among Republican accomplishments. The event will also focus on what Republicans describe as a socialist takeover of the Democratic Party, highlighting positions and statements including claims that there are six sexes, that America deserved the September 11 terrorist attacks, and that Thanksgiving should be canceled.
RNC Chairman Joe Gruters previously told Breitbart News Daily that the September 9-10 event in Dallas would operate as a “giant unity rally” designed to bring Republicans together ahead of November. Gruters said the party intends to use the convention to showcase Trump, highlight the administration’s accomplishments and agenda, feature Republican nominees, and motivate supporters to become poll workers, poll watchers, and otherwise work on behalf of the party and the president. He called the event a “Trumpalooza opportunity” that would help launch Trump and Republicans into the final stretch of campaigning in competitive districts. Gruters also said organizers deliberately selected a window after the primaries but before ballots begin going out, taking into account logistics, competing events, and available facilities in an effort to maximize the convention’s impact.
The convention comes as Trump’s political team is also focusing on Republican messaging for the midterms. Trump advisers James Blair and Tony Fabrizio and Senate Leadership Fund executive director Alex Latcham presented polling to Republican senators and aides on August 5 showing particularly strong results for messages focused on health insurance accountability, banning congressional stock trading, and combating fraud.
Republicans held a 46-point advantage on a message calling for greater transparency surrounding insurers’ profits, rejected claims, and delays in care, a 44-point advantage on banning congressional stock trading, and a 38-point advantage on fighting fraud, while messaging supporting the SAVE America Act produced a 14-point advantage. Blair also indicated that money from MAGA Inc. and the RNC is expected to begin moving into midterm races. MAGA Inc. holds more than $400 million, and Trump has said he controls the super PAC and intends to help Republicans. The RNC has $128 million on hand compared with $16 million held by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which also carries $18 million in debt. A recent Supreme Court ruling also allows the RNC to spend without limits in coordination with candidates.
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