K Street will represent in Dallas for Republicans’ first-ever midterm convention in two weeks, but lobbyists say the schedule is still murky.

“We’ll see a lot more details closer to the date,” said GOP lobbyist and donor Ozzie Palomo, a founding partner of Chartwell Strategy Group, who’s heading to Dallas.

“It’s almost like you’re going to political camp,” he added.

Many lobbyists and industry groups that typically show up for the quadrennial presidential nominating conventions are skipping. Palomo and other lobbyists who plan to go said they expect a big turnout of Trump administration officials, plus House and Senate leaders.

President Donald Trump

Photographer: Mike Kropf/Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson are expected to attend, according to aides familiar with their plans.

The gathering will include fundraisers, donor receptions, and a stage to rally the political troops with President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and others.

The RNC and party committees are offering packages for donors. Those giving $150,000 get six tickets to the convention, plus VIP access to events and hospitality suites, according to donor package descriptions.

• “Conventions are tremendous opportunities to sustain relationships and build new ones,” said Amy Carnevale, a lobbyist at K&L Gates.

Some of Washington’s prominent lobbying groups and companies aren’t planning to host events, while others didn’t respond to requests for comment. Some Republican lobbyists said they weren’t going, or were still deciding.

The US Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Realtors, and Meta Platforms Inc. didn’t respond to requests about their plans.

“It’ll be less crowded,” said Loren Monroe, a principal at BGR Group, who is planning to attend. “But for the ones that do want to go, they’re going to want to maximize the opportunity.” Read More

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Reach out with tips, news, complaints, and most importantly all your exclusives: kackley@bloombergindustry.com and coprysko@bloombergindustry.com.

Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton

Photographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg

Speaking of Texas, Ken Paxton, the state’s GOP Senate candidate, will swing through DC next month for a fundraising jaunt that includes a planned event hosted by TSG Advocates, the fast-growing K Street shop of The Southern Group.

It’s one of a dozen events that TSG plans to host at its Capitol Hill outpost in September, said founding partner Chase Kroll.

• “We’re proud to host AG Paxton in DC next month,” Kroll told Power Play in an email. “Our Hill House has quickly become a premiere hub for high-end political events, with more than a dozen receptions and fundraisers already on the calendar for September alone.”
  

Bottles of Canadian-made whisky on a shelf at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario

Photographer: Galit Rodan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The breakdown of US-Canada trade negotiations is pushing industry lobbyists to ramp up pleas to both governments — with one sector even considering launching new trade associations.

Distilled spirits, aluminum imports, dairy, lumber, and automobile sectors are being pulled into the fight that could plop new tariffs on their goods, and stall the lifting of current barriers.

• It also injects fresh uncertainty into the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s future. Some sectors will feel particular pain, said Samir Kapadia, head of trade at the Vogel Group.

“The biggest loser of this collapse in negotiations, besides Canada, is going to be the domestic aluminum importers in the United States,” Kapadia said. Read More

Trucks move through the Port of Oakland on April 28, 2025 in Oakland, California.

Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Chris Spear abruptly left his position as president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations on Friday at a pivotal time for the industry, Zach Williams and Kate report.

Spear’s job paid more than $3 million annually, according to the group’s 2024 publicly available tax filing. The industry publication Freight Waves reported last year that the group faced allegations of discrimination. Read More

Plus: Caleb Knapp, who was senior policy manager at the Alliance for Secure AI, joined the AI Policy Network (AIPN) as director of government affairs. He said the job will include working to promote innovation and national security, while preparing society for a future with powerful AI.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association is shopping for four new hires including a director of government affairs with expected pay up to $115,000, according to a help-wanted posting.

The association also is seeking a VP of international trade and a VP of technology policy — both with pay ranges up to $200,000.

RILA added Michelle Dimarob as senior executive VP for public affairs, leading federal advocacy and public affairs strategy for the group, June 15.

Plus: The Democratic Socialists of America is looking for a new press coordinator, a remote gig with a $65,500 salary, per a listing. The role includes helping coordinate the group’s media strategy and executing rapid-response communications strategies.

Planning for lawmakers’ stances on federal procurement in the 120th Congress, with BGOV.

Democratic control of one or more chambers next Congress would unlock investigations into the Trump administration’s no-bid contracts, equity stakes in private firms, and deals with artificial intelligence companies.

Read the BGOV OnPoint: Midterm Flip Could Shake Up Federal Contracting

Top committee Democrats are already probing Trump administration deals with entities with ties to the president, but they lack subpoena power that comes with a House or Senate majority. They’re also seeking details about AI companies’ contracts with the Pentagon, after Trump banned Anthropic for refusing to give the government unrestricted access to its models.