A Democratic National Committee spokesperson confirmed on Thursday that the party is considering a large gathering ahead of the 2026 midterms as President Trump floats a similar idea among Republicans.
“Americans everywhere are fired up and ready to fight back against Trump’s reckless policies — including his budget betrayal that cuts health care and food assistance for millions of people,” a DNC spokesperson said in a statement.
“To showcase our tremendous candidates running up and down the ballot and harness the amazing grassroots energy we’re already seeing, several options are on the table for next year, including hosting a large-scale gathering before the midterms,” the person added.
Axios reported on Wednesday that members of the party were considering holding a mini-convention ahead of the 2026 midterms to tout candidates and rising stars of the party, though noting that nothing had been finalized.
President Trump earlier on Thursday floated for Republicans to host a convention of their own ahead of 2026, saying in his post on Truth Social to “STAY TUNED!!!”
The parties typically only hold conventions during presidential years, where each party formally nominates their nominees for the White House. Axios noted that Democrats previously used to hold conventions around midterm years but later stopped.
The musings between the parties underscore the importance of next year’s midterms as both Democrats and Republicans wage a redistricting battle for control of the House majority, seen as Democrats’ best chance at checking Trump’s control in Congress for the last two years of his second term.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) enthusiastically backed the idea of a Republican convention in a post on X, saying “YES, Mr. President! Let’s go!!!!” with several American flag emojis.
