Last week, President Donald Trump headlined a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, and made a last-minute trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, to tout the new tax cuts package that scrapped taxes on tips.
Now, former Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to appear at a major Democratic fundraiser in Las Vegas on May 7.
Democrats have a multipronged strategy to get control of Congress, and that includes targeted redistricting efforts and aggressive fundraising. Meanwhile, Republicans are attempting to “build the red wall.”
Both parties are gearing up for the 2026 midterms, where the control of Congress is at stake.
Why is TPUSA trying to build a ‘red wall’?
In recent months, Turning Point USA has unabashedly set its sights on Nevada, Arizona and New Hampshire.
Democrats historically believed the GOP could not win the presidency or gain control of Congress without flipping at least one of the key Democratic strongholds — Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
“The blue wall hasn’t always held, but it has made Republicans fight uphill,” noted Victor Joecks in an opinion piece for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. But, he added, “If a Republican won Nevada, New Hampshire and Arizona, he or she could win the Electoral College without winning a single ‘blue wall state.’”
The GOP would also need to win North Carolina and Georgia, Joecks added.
TPUSA’s Erika Kirk has already offered Vice President JD Vance an endorsement for president.
By investing in crucial battleground states early, TPUSA hopes to build the infrastructure needed for a robust ground game for the 2028 presidential election and long-term influence beyond that. This means voter engagement, grassroots outreach and canvassing efforts, in off years as well.
Besides focusing on critical congressional races, TPUSA is also determined to install Republican governors in the states where they’re trying to build a red wall. Here’s what Republican efforts ahead of the 2026 election look like.
Arizona
Arizona and Georgia used to be reliably red states. In 2020, they both flipped to help former President Joe Biden win. Along with North Carolina — which remains Republican but has become increasingly competitive — these states represent key battlegrounds that could determine future elections.
Since the 1950s, Arizona has voted for Republicans in every election except 1996 and 2020.
Political analyst Chris Stirewalt offered a comparison in an opinion piece for The Dispatch in 2024, saying, “For Republicans, it was as painful as when Democrats had watched true-blue Michigan fall away by 10,704 votes in 2016. Democrats did not take that well.”
In the Grand Canyon State, TPUSA is heavily backing U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs in the race for Arizona governor. They have also endorsed a slate of MAGA-aligned congressional candidates, including Reps. Eli Crane, Abe Hamadeh, Paul Gosar and Juan Ciscomani as well as former football player Jay Feely and “American Sheriff” Mark Lamb. TPUSA’s most recent rally with Trump featured all these candidates.
Nevada
Last month, TPUSA opened its Nevada headquarters, with TPUSA CEO Erika Kirk and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, who is Trump-endorsed.
“I remember Charlie saying a little bit ago, ‘Gosh, we’ve got to increase the conservative footprint in Nevada. I’m so grateful to have a headquarters here. We’ll be here often,’” Kirk said.
In an April social media post, Trump endorsed state Sen. Carrie Buck for the 1st Congressional District and video game soundtrack composer Marty O’Donnell for the 3rd Congressional District in an effort to unseat two Democratic incumbents.
In the Silver State, such efforts could swing elections. As Joecks notes, right now, the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, representing roughly 60,000 hospitality workers in Las Vegas and Reno, runs the largest political canvassing operation in Nevada.
It explains why both Trump and Harris made promises to remove the tax on tips during the 2024 election. It’s also why Trump came back to the state, for the first time since shortly after his inauguration, and took a victory lap, touting the fulfillment of his promise.
If TPUSA replicates its Arizona infrastructure in Nevada, this could shift the power structure of the state’s ground game.
New Hampshire
In this state, TPUSA has its eyes set on flipping the U.S. Senate seat, currently held by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who announced in March 2025 that she will not seek a fourth term.
Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who represents New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district, and John Sununu, a Republican former senator who has Trump’s endorsement, are running to replace Shaheen.
Shaheen’s daughter, Stefany Shaheen, a former city councilwoman, is vying for the Democratic nomination for the seat left open by Pappas. She is up against Maura Sullivan, a former government official who served under the Obama administration, who has an impressive war chest.
Trump hasn’t made an official endorsement in the Republican primary for this race but several candidates have already promised their loyalty to him.
That includes business owner Anthony DiLorenzo, industrialist Hollie Noveletsky, New Hampshire state Sen. Brian Cole and former banker Melissa Bailey.
Aside from holding “super ballot chasing” events, TPUSA also invited New Hampshire-native Karoline Leavitt to headline the kickoff event in Washington, D.C., for the “This Is The Turning Point” spring tour. On stage, Leavitt offered details about her life in the White House, describing the president’s intense schedule and the never-ending press inquiries, and reflected on her start in politics, crediting TPUSA for supporting her 2022 congressional run.