Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick is a featured speaker at the party's unusual midterm convention in Dallas this week. He will be joined by at least four GOP members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan from Luzerne County.
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s congressional office confirmed the Bucks County representative will not be attending, however.
Fitzpatrick has positioned himself as an independent, moderate conservative who has only voted in line with President Donald Trump half the time since the president took office, which has incurred some wrath from the president.
“I’m ranked No. 1, most independent on every scorecard, every single metric,” he told WHYY News during a July interview. “The president has made his thoughts clear about how he feels about me.”
Fitzpatrick is considered one of the nation’s most vulnerable Republicans as Democrats look to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives, making it risky to attend an event Republican National Committee chair Joe Gruters has dubbed “Trumpapalooza.”
Mackenzie, Bresnahan set to speak
However, the three other vulnerable Pennsylvania members of Congress that Democrats are hoping to unseat in November do not appear to have any concern about further tying themselves closer to the president.
Republican U.S. Reps. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley and Bresnahan have been announced as speakers at the two-day gathering and U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Harrisburg, will be attending.
WHEN THEY'RE SPEAKING
Republican officials on Tuesday announced the speakers' schedule for this week's midterm convention, including the following Pennsylvania lawmakers:
● Bresnahan: 9/9, during the 6-7 p.m. ET hour
● McCormick: 9/9, during the 7-8 p.m. ET hour
● Mackenzie: 9/10, during the 4–5 p.m. ET hour
In a statement, Mackenzie said he is running on his record of “delivering results for the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos.”
“That work has meant over $160 million brought home to our communities — supporting first responders, strengthening local health care, and investing in manufacturing,” he said. “It has also meant tax relief for seniors, parents, workers, and every American. I’m looking forward to talking to the people of the Lehigh Valley, the Poconos, and the entire nation about these accomplishments, and how we can build on them in the years ahead.”
Eli Cousin, spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said in a statement that Mackenzie votes “nearly 100% of the time with Trump, spending billions on a war of choice overseas while the cost of gas, groceries, and health care rise here at home.”
“His loyalty to Trump over his own constituents will define his time in Washington and cost him his seat in November,” he said.
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Luzerne County, is also reportedly attending, according to an Axios report.
The plans of Pennsylvania’s five other Republican House members — U.S. Reps. Lloyd Smucker, John Joyce, Guy Reschenthaler, Glenn “GT” Thompson and Mike Kelly — had not been publicly confirmed as of Tuesday. WHYY News has contacted members of the delegation for updated information but had not heard back as of Tuesday afternoon.
Stacy Garrity, Pennsylvania’s state treasurer and the Republican nominee for governor, will not be attending, according to her campaign, which cited “campaign and Treasury obligations” in the commonwealth this week.
GOP's first midterm-specific convention
The event at the American Airlines Center is the Republican Party’s first national convention organized specifically around a midterm election. Trump, who conceived the event and has been closely involved in planning it, is expected to speak both nights. Vice President JD Vance and other administration officials are also scheduled to appear.
The convention is intended to energize Republican voters and draw attention to congressional candidates less than two months before the election. Unlike the party’s presidential conventions, delegates will not nominate candidates or conduct other major formal business.
Organizers expect about 30,000 people to attend, and the gathering is projected to cost more than $40 million, Reuters reported. Meuser told Axios that he paid $25,000 for the convention package, which includes two tickets, a hotel room and access to a reception, according to the outlet.
Republican lawmakers who are considered vulnerable were exempted from the charge through the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Patriot” program. For candidates in competitive races such as Perry, Bresnahan and Mackenzie, the more consequential cost may be spending two days away from their districts just as the campaign cycle goes into a crucial segment.
They are also tying themselves closer to a president whose approval rating has dropped precipitously over the course of the year, with voters expressing concern over the war in Iran as well as immigration, tariffs and gas prices.
Democrats plan 'counter' event in Dallas
Democrats have criticized the convention and four Democratic members will also be in Dallas for a “counter” event, including U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, of Montgomery County.
“For the past two years, Congressional Republicans like Rob Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie have helped President Trump drive up the cost of gas, groceries, and healthcare while handing out more tax breaks to the very wealthy,” Dean said in a statement sent to WHYY News. “I hear from Pennsylvanians every day — they want an end to the GOP’s reckless tariffs, the disastrous war with Iran, and to the disgusting corruption that they’ve enabled. That’s the message I’ll be delivering in Texas.”
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