DALLAS — New York Republicans are finding themselves far from center stage at this week’s GOP midterm convention, with the state delegation assigned to the back-left section of the arena — a noticeable shift from the more prominent spots it enjoyed at the party’s 2016 and 2024 conventions.
For years, New York’s deep-blue political identity was offset, at least symbolically, by its connection to President Trump, whose hometown ties appeared to help the delegation land prime convention floor placement. This time, however, that Trump-era advantage does not seem to have carried over.
Several New York Republicans in Dallas appeared caught off guard when told about the less-visible seating arrangement, though most sought to downplay the significance of the placement.
“Seating doesn’t matter,” David Laska, communications director for the New York State GOP, told The Post, emphasizing instead that Rep. Mike Lawler and House candidate Mike LiPetri are both slated for speaking roles at the Republican gathering.
Laska said the bigger priority is the party’s midterm mission: working closely with the Republican National Committee and other national GOP groups to protect the House majority and defeat Gov. Kathy Hochul in November.
An RNC official told The Post that New York’s placement should not be read as a snub. The official said the Dallas event marks the GOP’s first midterm convention, and that arranging delegations on the floor became something of a logistical “game of Tetris” based on the number of attendees each state brought.
Unlike a presidential nominating convention, where each state receives a set number of delegates with formal responsibilities such as casting votes, attendees at the midterm convention do not have electoral duties. Many paid state parties significant sums — in some cases thousands of dollars — for the chance to attend as honorary delegates.
“It’s a giant puzzle based off of how many people each state has and how they fit on the floor,” the RNC official said, insisting the seating plan was not intended as an insult to New York or any other delegation.
Florida, home to Trump’s official residence in Mar-a-Lago, retained good seating in the front left side of the arena at the 20,000-seat American Airlines Center, home to the NBA’s Mavericks and NHL’s Stars.
However, the seats closest to the stage are not designated to a state, but reserved for “Front Row Joes” – which is the nickname Trump has dubbed for his biggest fans who follow him around the country to attend his events.
Back in 2024, New York’s delegation earned prime front-row seating, just to the side of the main stage, while Florida enjoyed the center, front-row spot.
In 2016, the Empire State had the highly coveted center front-row spot, with Florida just behind it. The 2020 convention was complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Typically, state delegation seating at party conventions is a show of how influential they are. Oftentimes, battleground states and states where presidential or vice presidential nominees were born get coveted positions.
This week’s so-called “Trump-a-palooza” midterm convention is unprecedented for the GOP. Traditionally, Republicans and Democrats hold their national party conventions in presidential cycles, when they have to officially coronate their standard-bearer and choose the party platform.
Republicans won’t be doing either of those tasks at the convention confab this week. But at the president’s request, the GOP’s Trump-a-palooza event will mirror key aspects of national party conventions in presidential cycles.
That includes the tradition of state delegates sitting together for the speeches on the arena floor.
Tickets for Michigan’s delegation clocked in at $7,500 for an individual and $10,000 for a couple to become an honorary delegate. Texas’s price tag for being an honorary delegate clocked in at $20,000, the HuffPost reported.
The event is doubling as a mega fundraiser for Republicans and a political stimulant intended to dramatically energize the voting base, 55 days out from the Nov. 3 midterm election.
