Democrats are trying to win back Congress by criticizing their own party to appeal to voters in more conservative areas

By David Hood-Nuño and Evan Garcia DONNA, Texas, Sept 23 (Reuters) - South Texas unfurls in long stretches of highways across flat landscapes dotted with pump jacks, mesquite trees, and gas stations sporting prices that voters swear should not be this high.

Republicans are gathering for a midterm convention in Dallas as Democrats have improved their odds to take over both chambers of Congress.

The party is putting up a costly defense of states and districts that President Trump won easily in 2024. And in places like Georgia, strategists wonder if it’s too late.

The Republican Party, or the GOP, currently holds the majority in the US House of Representatives as well as the majority of state legislatures. The Republican leaders are Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell in the Senate and Ohio’s John Boehner in the House.

The two day Republican convention in Dallas showcased the party's biggest asset in trying to win competitive midterm races and its greatest obstacle: President Trump.

The bump was driven in part by independent voters. In 2022, 36 percent of independents described Republicans as the more elitist party. This year, that figure was 45 percent. In the latest poll, men were about evenly split on the party they viewed as most elitist, but women chose Republicans by a 20-point margin.

Health care is shaping up to be a vulnerability for the GOP in the 2026 midterm elections, when Democrats hope to capture the House and Senate.