Republicans fill American Airlines Center on first night of the convention

The corridors of the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, buzzed with almost as much excitement as the arena itself the first day of the 2026 Republican Midterm Convention as Republicans from all over the country convened prior to the midterm election.

The arena’s floor was filled with excited state delegations and media personalities as the first night kicked off, with a number of Republican representatives, activists, and pastors speaking in the first few hours of the event Wednesday.

‘We need to get Paxton some more money so he can win this race against Talafreako.’

Convention attendees mingled with figures such as Scott Presler, congressional candidate Brandon Herrera, and Fox News’ Bret Baier as the night began.

In the first half of the night, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) received one of the longest standing ovations from the crowd, which by that time filled most the levels of the arena.

The delegations on the convention floor waved American flags and signs that said, “Keep the Majority,” and “Republicans are Fixing Democrats’ Mess.”

And the excitement didn’t die down outside the arena.

RELATED: Watch live: Night 1 of the GOP Midterm Convention

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Texas, one of the best represented states at the convention, had attendees from all over the state.

Asked who he was most excited to see at the event, convention-goer Randy told Blaze News, “Obviously President Trump. But all of them I’m looking forward to seeing.”

“And obviously we need to get [Attorney General Ken] Paxton some more money so he can win this race against Talafreako,” Randy, who came to Dallas on Wednesday from San Antonio, added in an interview with Blaze News.

The floor and arena seating continued to fill with more cowboy hats and MAGA hats as the night went on.

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