GOP state parties are charging tens of thousands of dollars for special access to the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention, sparking concerns that the high cost of attending could price out the grassroots activists who traditionally knock doors, make phone calls, and turn out voters.
RNC Chairman Joe Gruters previously told the Washington Examiner that the “upcoming Midterm Convention will be a Trump-a-palooza that will showcase the strength of the Republican Party and the candidates carrying President Trump’s America First agenda forward.”
State parties, however, are using the convention to replenish their coffers ahead of what is expected to be a difficult midterm election for the GOP.
California is offering sponsorship packages ranging from $25,000 to $250,000, according to a fundraising flier shared with the Washington Examiner. The highest tier, “Golden VIP Member,” costs $250,000.
Other state parties are rolling out their own premium fundraising packages.
Texas, which is hosting the convention in Dallas from Sept. 9 to 10, is also offering similar premium packages. The Texas GOP is charging $20,000 for “honorary delegate” status, $15,000 for “honorary alternate delegate” status, and $5,000 for “honorary guest” status, a flier showed.
According to a social media post from the Denton County Republican Party, tickets to the convention are limited.
“No party business or delegate elections will take place,” the post reads. “Instead, this event is designed to celebrate the America First movement while raising resources to help the state Republican Partys across the country to win in November.”
One Texas Republican familiar with the planning said the event “seems to me more of a fundraiser than a convention.”
“Many people thought it would be a convention like the Texas GOP convention, but with the ticket prices at that amount, it’s mainly a fundraiser,” they continued. “But some leadership believes there will be prices more affordable to the public as we get closer to the event.”
In the battleground state of Michigan, home to several key races this year, the “honorary delegate” status will cost a couple $10,000 or an individual $7,000.
According to a state party fundraising email, the “honorary delegate” status garners exclusive access to the floor of the American Airlines Center during the rally, a private breakfast, and hotel and transportation accommodations.
Alabama has taken a different approach, however. The Alabama GOP has begun accepting the qualifying form for Republicans to serve as delegates at the convention. Costs are far below the prices of other state parties. Delegate and alternate delegates are estimated to cost between $1,300 and $1,500.
The Washington Examiner has also learned that other state parties are in the process of releasing their own fundraising formats for the conventions. The New York Republican Party is offering a delegate floor pass at $4,000, while an alternate delegate pass will cost $2,500. A guest cost will be $1,250.
The pricing structure has raised questions inside Republican circles about whether the convention will be accessible to the grassroots activists who power Republican campaigns.
One former RNC member warned that the convention is a high-risk undertaking that could distract from efforts to help Republicans retain control of Congress.
“It’s either going to be a great success, or it’s going to be a complete flop,” they said. “And by that I mean two things. It’s going to be a flop because there aren’t enough people out there to buy these passes.”
The former RNC member also questioned whether enough major Republican donors would purchase the high-priced packages to make the event financially successful.
“I don’t know how many people can genuinely write a check for that, even people who are very well off,” said the former RNC member. “Because many of the people who are very well off, who give money, have already made their allocations in terms of political giving for this cycle, so that’s the first problem.”
Others argued the convention’s price tag risks turning what is billed as a celebration of the America First movement into an event that many rank-and-file Republicans simply cannot afford to attend.
In private online messages shared with the Washington Examiner, one Republican said they could never afford the convention price, while another called the convention an event for the rich.
Because of the convention’s unconventional nature, it’s unclear whether the major broadcast networks will air the event live from the American Airlines Center, which seats roughly 20,000 people.
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The former RNC member also questioned whether organizers would ultimately be able to fill the arena if attendance depended heavily on expensive sponsorship packages.
“I suspect what they’re going to end up having to do is essentially give away the tickets at the last minute to fill the place up,” said the former RNC member.
