For Republican candidates running in battleground Senate races, this week’s G.O.P. midterm convention in Dallas represents a thorny conundrum.
Do they attend and risk alienating swing voters in their states by embracing President Trump at a time when many are frustrated with his second term? Or do they skip it, potentially drawing Mr. Trump’s ire and losing out on a chance to fire up the Republican base?
The nine Republicans running in the most competitive Senate races — those considered tossups or leaning toward one party or the other by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report — have made different decisions ahead of Wednesday’s convention, which will feature some of the biggest names in the party.
Here’s a rundown of their choices.
Taking the stage in Dallas
One of the least surprising names on the list of convention speakers is Ken Paxton, the hard-right Texas attorney general who has aligned himself closely with the president and who will need Mr. Trump’s voters to turn out for him. Mr. Paxton, running against James Talarico, a state lawmaker who has Democrats optimistic about flipping Texas, was unlikely to skip a major Republican event in his home state.
Another staunch ally of Mr. Trump set to speak at the convention is Michael Whatley, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, which is hosting the Dallas event. Mr. Whatley is running for the open Senate seat in North Carolina against Roy Cooper, a popular former Democratic governor who leads Mr. Whatley in polls. Still, North Carolina has gone Republicans’ way in recent presidential elections.
Senator Jon Husted, running for re-election in Ohio after being appointed to serve out the remaining term of Vice President JD Vance, also plans to speak in Dallas. Like Mr. Paxton, Mr. Husted will need to fire up Republican voters in a state that Mr. Trump carried three times. But he faces a tough opponent in former Senator Sherrod Brown, a well-known Ohio Democrat who was ousted in 2024 and is attempting a comeback.
In Georgia, Representative Mike Collins is another Senate candidate who has tied himself closely to Mr. Trump — the president endorsed Mr. Collins in the final stretch of a primary runoff in June — and will speak at the convention. Mr. Collins may face an uphill battle in a swing state, and he faces a formidable opponent in Senator Jon Ossoff, the incumbent Democrat.
Former Representative Mike Rogers of Michigan will also speak in Dallas. With Republicans playing defense across the Senate map, the party sees Mr. Rogers’s bid as a rare chance to go on offense and flip an open Democratic seat. Mr. Rogers is running against Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official whose bitter primary battle against Representative Haley Stevens, a moderate, divided Democrats in Michigan. Still, Mr. Rogers will have to appeal beyond the MAGA base in a purple state to emerge victorious.
Skipping the action
Running for re-election in Maine — a blue state that former Vice President Kamala Harris easily won in 2024 — Senator Susan Collins is skipping the G.O.P. convention, according to her campaign, which said she would be with constituents. Ms. Collins faces Troy Jackson, a progressive former state legislator, in a high-profile contest this fall.
Republicans spy another opportunity in New Hampshire, where John E. Sununu is running for an open seat and trying to make a comeback after serving in the Senate from 2003 to 2009. A spokesman for Mr. Sununu, Mike Schrimpf, said the former senator would not be attending the convention because New Hampshire’s primary is on Tuesday. (The convention is on Wednesday and Thursday.)
And in Alaska, Senator Dan Sullivan, the incumbent Republican, faces a tough challenge from former Representative Mary Peltola, a Democrat, in a state that is conservative but maintains an independent streak. Both candidates have tried to avoid close ties with their parties in the Lower 48.
“Senator Sullivan is spending this week campaigning across Alaska,” said Nate Adams, a spokesman for Mr. Sullivan. “The Senator looks forward to welcoming President Trump to the state ahead of the November election.”
Unclear or undecided
In Iowa, Representative Ashley Hinson, a Republican, faces Josh Turek, a Democratic state lawmaker and Paralympian, as Democrats try to revert the state to battleground status after years of Republican dominance. A representative for Ms. Hinson did not respond to an inquiry about her plans for the week. She is not currently listed on the public speaking schedule for Dallas.
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