The Democratic National Committee (DNC) will not move forward with plans for a midterm convention, party leaders confirmed Monday, as Democrats grapple with a significant fundraising disadvantage heading into the 2026 elections.
According to Politico, DNC Chair Ken Martin informed members during a phone call that the party would forgo the gathering after internal discussions concluded resources would be better spent on direct campaign efforts in battleground states. Two individuals on the call told the outlet that members urged leadership to prioritize organizing and voter outreach over hosting a national event.
The decision comes as the Republican National Committee (RNC) reportedly holds a $100 million cash advantage over Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterms. The DNC’s financial challenges have been pronounced enough that it recently took out a $15 million loan to invest in key 2025 elections in Virginia and New Jersey — contests Democrats ultimately won but that required significant national party support.
DNC Executive Director Roger Lau defended the decision, arguing that Democrats are focusing on strategy rather than spectacle. “Republicans were baited into wasting time and money on a midterm convention that will sink their swing-seat candidates by tying them directly to Trump’s wildly unpopular policies,” Lau said in a statement. “Meanwhile the DNC has put resources where they’re needed most and doubled down on the playbook that helped our candidates flip seats up and down the ballot in 2025.”
Republicans, however, framed the decision as a sign of deeper weakness. RNC spokeswoman Kiersten Pels told CBS News that the DNC’s cancellation reflects both financial and political vulnerability. “The DNC can’t afford to hold a midterm convention, financially or politically,” Pels said. “They don’t have the money, and they certainly don’t have the courage to put their radical, failing agenda on full display for voters to reject.”
While Democrats are shelving plans for a midterm convention, the party is moving forward with preparations for the 2028 presidential race. Officials announced five finalist cities to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention from Aug. 7 to Aug. 10: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, and Philadelphia. Each city has previously hosted a Democratic presidential convention, most recently Chicago in 2024.
Republicans have not yet announced plans or a location for their own midterm convention, though party officials have signaled they intend to move forward with the event.
READ NEXT: Trump Floats Pre-Midterms Republican National Convention
