Democrats counter-program Trump's Dallas convention, target economic record

While Republicans gather in Dallas for a two-day midterm convention, Democratic leaders and candidates are also on the ground in Texas, seeking to turn the national spotlight against President Donald Trump. Their central argument: the production value of the event cannot mask an administration they say has failed to deliver for working families.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a potential 2028 presidential contender, set the tone on Wednesday morning. "This bizarre Republican midterm convention here can't paper over the fact that Republicans have done nothing to earn your vote," he said.

The unusual convention, which features the president on both nights and doubles as a fundraising opportunity, does not involve the official delegate business of a traditional presidential nominating convention. Democrats have seized on this format, mocking it as a distraction from issues like the war with Iran, economic anxiety, and the president's low approval ratings.

Texas Democrats are hoping the added attention helps their candidates. James Talarico, running against state Attorney General Ken Paxton in a closely watched Senate race, held a food drive at Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas. He contrasted the volunteer effort with the Republican festivities. "While we're here serving our neighbors, billionaire megadonors and their puppet politicians are clinking their Champagne glasses," Talarico said, accusing them of celebrating "corrupt tariffs, billionaire tax breaks and a new forever war."

Talarico also noted the price of access at the convention, smiling as he offered a free alternative. "If you want a picture with me," he said, "it's free."

Texas Democratic chairman Kendall Scudder framed the party's message around economic fairness, saying, "Trump's trickle-up economics is taking money out of your pocket and giving it to the richest people in this country." He insisted, however, that the party's focus is on constructive proposals. "This party has stood in modern history on the side of working-class people," Scudder said. "We're recapturing that narrative."

Elsewhere in Dallas, Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic candidate challenging Governor Greg Abbott, visited a venue housing thousands of files related to Jeffrey Epstein and met with his accusers. She criticized the lack of accountability for powerful figures, noting that the president had resisted releasing the files. "It's really incredible that we live in a country where the justice system is so broken at every level that there has not been accountability of what we know was extensive sexual abuse," Hinojosa said.