Democrats are taking a mixed approach to countering the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention next week, conversations with the Washington Examiner revealed.
Unlike presidential election-year conventions when Democrats typically counterprogram the GOP event, or even after the State of the Union address when more than one Democrat will normally rebut the president’s speech, Democrats are planning a big partywide response to the midterm confab.
Some Democrats are taking a hands-off approach and even pretending it is not happening, while others are planning protests in hopes of mobilizing voters to show up at the polls in November.
At the local level, the Tarrant County Democratic Party in Texas, for example, is not marking the event in neighboring Dallas with any recognition. Allison Campolo, the Tarrant County Democratic Party chairwoman, said there were no plans to hold a press conference critiquing the event or pay for billboards mocking President Donald Trump and Republicans.
“It is not a good use of our time or money,” she said, calling the event an “extremely desperate ploy for attention.”
Instead, she said the local party would use its time and resources engaging voters and making sure they show up on Election Day.
Dallas County Democrats, meanwhile, are hosting a “We the People” rally the same night that Trump is scheduled to speak in primetime. A spokesperson for the group said the event was “a joint effort from all those who oppose Trump, fascism, and harmful policies.”
Both Trump and the Dallas County Democrats, however, will have competition from the NFL. The league will host its second regular season game, between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, the same night. The matchup will stream on Netflix at 8:35 p.m. Eastern.
Football and other business is also likely going to keep Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD), a potential 2028 Democratic hopeful, from rebutting or protesting the convention.
Moore is not anticipated to provide a rebuttal, a source familiar with the matter told the Washington Examiner. A source familiar told the Washington Examiner that he will instead be focused on his work with the National Governors Association as well as his responsibilities as Maryland’s chief executive.
“He’s gonna be busy with NGA stuff and then watching football like the rest of America,” the source said.
Another potential 2028 presidential contender, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, is similarly not planning to counterprogram the convention. Buttigieg is campaigning with Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) and Democratic nominee for governor Deb Haaland in New Mexico the Sunday after the convention, however.
Staff for other potential 2028 Democratic hopefuls told the Washington Examiner there was no major plan in the works. Several noted that could change ahead of the event depending on whether an opportunity presented itself.
A Democratic operative said party members will attack Trump and the GOP over the high cost of living and the president’s sinking approval numbers. This will include using surrogates, on-the-ground organizing, and a extensive social media presence to rapidly respond to the convention. Yet, a week out from the convention, little public notice has been given about what will take place.
The Democrats’ mixed response to the convention comes as polls indicate the event is unlikely to tip the political scales for Republicans before November, even in Texas, where the confab is set to take place.
A new poll from Overton Insights and the Texas Public Policy Foundation, shared first with the Washington Examiner, showed that 55.4% of likely Texas voters said the convention will either have a great deal or some impact on the outcome of the midterm elections. Nearly 45% said the convention will not have much or any impact on the elections.
TEXAS VOTERS SPLIT OVER WHETHER THE RNC MIDTERM CONVENTION WILL BOOST GOP: POLL
The Democratic National Committee is not putting together its own midterm convention before November. But in a statement, a DNC spokeswoman excoriated the GOP iteration.
“While everyday Americans struggle to pay their bills, fill up their tanks, or put food on the table, Republicans are hosting a multi-million dollar celebration to satisfy an aging and erratic Trump and tie vulnerable Republican candidates closer to his failed agenda,” said Kendall Witmer, the DNC’s rapid response director. “Democrats are on the ground, listening to voters across the country about the issues that matter most and aggressively investing and organizing to win up and down the ballot. Americans don’t want a ‘Trumpapalooza’ — they want lower costs and affordable healthcare.”