The Democratic National Committee announced it will not hold a midterm convention, citing financial strain and a desire to redirect resources toward competitive state races ahead of the 2026 elections.
The decision was revealed during a Monday afternoon conference call, according to two participants who spoke with Politico. DNC Chair Ken Martin said members urged the party to prioritize on-the-ground campaign operations instead of staging a national gathering.
The move comes as Democrats trail the Republican National Committee by roughly $100 million in available cash. The DNC has also taken out a $15 million loan to fund recent efforts in Virginia and New Jersey—two states Democrats managed to win in 2025.
DNC Executive Director Roger Lau framed the cancellation as a strategic choice rather than a retreat, arguing Republicans were lured into spending money on their own midterm convention.
“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 shot back quickly. RNC spokeswoman Kiersten Pels told CBS News, “The DNC can’t afford to hold a midterm convention, financially or politically. 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 skipping the midterm gathering, Democrats did move forward with plans for their 2028 presidential convention. The DNC announced five finalist host cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, and Philadelphia. Each has previously hosted a Democratic presidential convention—Atlanta in 1988, Boston in 2004, Chicago in 2024, Denver in 2008, and Philadelphia in 2016.
Republicans have not yet announced a location for their own midterm convention. For now, the contrast is clear: while the GOP prepares for a national showcase, Democrats are betting that skipping one will free up precious cash for battleground races in 2026.
