United States Vice President JD Vance spoke at a midterm rally held at the Tyler Pounds Regional Airport on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. The rally, which kicked off at 10 a.m. with doors opening two hours earlier, aimed to energize Republican voters in East Texas ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Vice President Vance joined the stage around 11:53 a.m., waving to guests who chanted “U.S.A.”
Thousands of attendees were expected at the event, requiring guests to RSVP in advance. Security protocols, including TSA measures, were implemented at the venue, with several items prohibited from entry. Prior to Vance’s arrival, a roster of officials addressed the crowd, including U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran of the First Congressional District, Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton, Texas Comptroller Don Huffines, Rep. Daniel Alders (R-Tyler), Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, Texas Senator and Republican nominee for Texas Attorney General Mayes Middleton. Other speakers included U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill.
Local representatives were also present on the grounds, such as Smith County Commissioner GOP nominee Austin Luce, Tyler Mayor Stuart Hene, and other City of Tyler representatives. Whitehouse Mayor James Wansley and other City of Whitehouse representatives were also in attendance, alongside members of the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and CampV representatives.
Simultaneously, peaceful protests were organized at the entrance of the airport on State Highway 64. Hector Garza, Democratic candidate for Texas House District 5 and former Smith County Democratic Party chair, led one protest, and another was organized by the East Texas Rainbow Network.
John Barrett, a political science professor at LeTourneau University, noted the strategic significance of Vance's decision to campaign in a region that traditionally favors Republicans. Barrett stated that such visits are intended to “get Republicans fired up and to the polls to offset some of the Democrats that you’re going to get in the urban areas.” Vance had previously visited Brownsville and Harlingen on September 30 as part of his campaign efforts. Early voting in Smith County is scheduled from October 19-30, leading up to the general election on November 3.
The Vice President’s visit to Tyler holds historical weight for the region. Archive records indicate that the last U.S. Vice President to visit Tyler was Dan Quayle, who appeared on October 17, 1992. Quayle, then Vice President to President George H.W. Bush, participated in the Texas Rose Festival parade. Before Quayle, presidential visits included Gerald Ford in April 1976, who spoke to an estimated 7,500 people at Tyler Junior College’s Wagstaff Gymnasium, after being welcomed by a crowd along Mahon Avenue. President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush also visited Tyler on November 5, 1990, campaigning for Republican candidates at the TJC campus, where they received a cheering welcome from 4,000 people. Additionally, in August 1992, then-Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton and Al Gore attended a rally on the Tyler Junior College campus. This historical context highlights the infrequent nature of high-level political visits to the East Texas area.
With early voting set to begin on October 19, residents of Smith County will soon have the opportunity to cast their ballots for the midterm elections.
