INSIDE DALLAS 2026
Stephanie Summers on Faith, Leadership and the Next Era of Republican Engagement
DALLAS, TEXAS — The Republican Party’s first-ever midterm national convention brought party leaders, officials, donors and activists to the American Airlines Center on September 9–10, placing Dallas at the center of the 2026 midterm conversation. For Stephanie Summers, Chief Operating Officer of NEXT ERA Super PAC, the gathering was also a chance to experience the relationships, energy and sense of shared purpose that NEXT ERA has been seeking to build around major political moments.
Summers described the atmosphere as exciting, welcoming and deeply engaged. Beyond the arena program, she pointed to the conversations taking place around Dallas — in hospitality spaces, private gatherings and informal meetings — as evidence that political participation can also become a platform for relationships, leadership, business connections and community engagement.
Stephanie Summers, Chief Operating Officer of NEXT ERA Super PAC, on the convention floor at the 2026 Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas.
A ROOM FILLED WITH ENERGY AND CONNECTION
“Attending the Midterm RNC was a powerful experience that gave me another chance to be around the energy and patriotism of the country. I was encouraged by the conversations I had and by the commitment I saw to engage voters and to address the issues that matter most to our communities. I’m grateful to the Mississippi Republican Party for the opportunity to be part of the process and look forward to carrying that experience forward in my work at NEXT ERA Super PAC.”
Stephanie Summers, Chief Operating Officer, NEXT ERA Super PAC
That emphasis on engagement reflects the larger NEXT ERA strategy. The organization has framed Dallas not as a one-time appearance, but as a launch point for a wider network connecting conservative political participation with enterprise, ownership, entrepreneurship, media, culture and community leadership.
Summers said one of the strongest impressions she carried away was the feeling of being among people who were genuinely happy to participate. In her telling, the convention’s value was not limited to speeches from the stage; it was also found in the conversations between people, the introductions, the sense of access and the opportunity to hear how leaders and attendees were thinking about the country’s direction.
Stephanie Summers with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin during convention week in Dallas.
LEADERSHIP, ACCESS AND THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE CONVENTION
Convention week gave Summers opportunities to meet and interact with figures from government and Republican politics. Among the encounters documented in her Dallas photographs were U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour.
For Summers, those meetings reinforced NEXT ERA’s belief that political engagement becomes more meaningful when people can move beyond observing leadership from a distance and instead enter the rooms where relationships, ideas and future partnerships can begin.
Stephanie Summers with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy during her Dallas convention experience.
The convention itself was a first-of-its-kind midterm gathering for the Republican Party. Its official program brought together national leaders and speakers over two days, with the stated goal of energizing voters and presenting the party’s vision ahead of the November elections. For NEXT ERA, the timing offered a live test of the organization’s central idea: that major political moments can also become environments for sustained relationship-building.
Stephanie Summers at the Dallas 2026 convention site, where Republicans gathered for the party’s first-ever midterm national convention.
MISSISSIPPI ROOTS, REPRESENTATION AND A BROADER TABLE
The Mississippi connection was especially significant for Summers and NEXT ERA. The organization traces its story to a Black Republican legacy in Mississippi and has consistently argued for broader participation, economic opportunity and a stronger place for Black and minority voices within conservative political life.
Summers recalled a Ritz-Carlton gathering where former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour spoke about the importance of Black Americans and other minority communities being part of the party and its future. For NEXT ERA, that message aligns with a wider goal: participation should mean more than being present for an election. It should create pathways into leadership, enterprise, civic influence and long-term relationships.
Stephanie Summers with former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour during convention week in Dallas.
FAITH IN THE ROOM
Another element Summers emphasized was faith. She described prayer and spiritual reflection as an important part of the atmosphere surrounding the gathering, recalling a pastor’s remarks as a reminder that public leadership and personal conviction often meet in the same room.
“God has a special place in our lives. When you have the Holy Spirit in the place, there is love — and it becomes inspiring and spiritual.”
Stephanie Summers
For Summers, that spiritual dimension added another layer to the convention experience: politics was present, but so were questions of service, responsibility, community and the values people carry into public life.
Dallas 2026 after dark: Stephanie Summers at the convention complex as NEXT ERA Super PAC moved from preparation to on-the-ground engagement.
FROM DALLAS TO WHAT COMES NEXT
The convention ended, but NEXT ERA’s work is intended to continue beyond Dallas. Summers said the experience strengthened her conviction that the organization can help create a platform where political leadership meets community participation, business, media and culture — and where new voices can develop relationships with established decision-makers.
Dallas therefore represents both a political moment and a relationship-building milestone for NEXT ERA. The organization’s focus now is to convert the access, conversations and momentum of convention week into durable engagement - the kind that continues after the arena lights go down and creates lasting pathways for leadership, enterprise and community participation.
“Modern politics no longer happens solely on keynotes and legislative floors — it thrives where industry, culture and new ideas converge. Our goal is to build an ecosystem alongside landmark political moments where current decision-makers and emerging leaders can engage in candid dialogue, build strategic partnerships and shape the national narrative.”
Stephanie Summers, Chief Operating Officer, NEXT ERA Super PAC
ABOUT NEXT ERA SUPER PAC
NEXT ERA Super PAC is a Black-owned and Black-controlled political organization focused on expanding participation and representation within the Republican Party and the broader conservative political ecosystem. Its platform connects politics with business, capital, entrepreneurship, media, entertainment, culture and community leadership.
