Before the opening gavel, however, one thing was conspicuously absent: 2028.

There was no presence for any would-be Republican presidential candidate. No surrogate making the rounds. No political organization collecting names. No reception ostensibly about electing Republicans in November that was really an early down payment on the next presidential campaign.

That struck me as a missed opportunity.

Appearing in key early states is hardly a new play. I remember this same convention 20 years ago, in 2006, when Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney made a huge splash.

Romney hosted receptions and unveiled a 75-member steering committee for his Michigan political action committee. It was a who’s who that included the then-speaker of the state House of Representatives, 36 members of the state legislature, state and local party leaders, and top donors. Officially, Romney’s PAC supported Michigan Republicans in that cycle. In reality, it was a presidential campaign in waiting.

To be fair, I understand why Vice President JD Vance was not there. The same goes for any Cabinet secretary in the Trump administration.

This convention needed to be about Michigan. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to the lowest of his presidency in public polling. James, Senate nominee Mike Rogers, and the rest of the ticket have little incentive to turn November into a referendum on Trump.

Republicans do not want to talk about Trump right now. Yet they cannot win without the Trump base. That is the awkward political reality.

It does not explain the absence of Republicans who could run in 2028.

Take Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) of Texas. He ran for president in 2016 and came closer than anyone else to defeating Trump for the nomination. Cruz is thought to still harbor presidential ambitions. He could have nominally stumped for Rogers while making connections that might matter down the road.

The same is true of former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. He has already made the obligatory pilgrimage to Iowa and remains part of the conversation.

Then there is outgoing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). Although his 2024 presidential campaign flopped, he enjoys broad appeal with conservatives. The Michigan Republican Party convention offered him an inexpensive opportunity to reintroduce himself.

DeSantis is no stranger to the Wolverine State. In December 2022, now-state House Majority Floor Leader Bryan Posthumus flew to the Sunshine State to hand-deliver a letter signed by 18 colleagues who said they were “ready and willing to help you win Michigan in 2024.”

None of them needed to announce anything. They could have headlined a pre-convention open-bar reception Friday, addressed delegates in one place, and worked the room. The public message would have been about helping Rogers. The private understanding would have been obvious: I showed up when Michigan Republicans needed help. Remember me in 2028.

Michigan is relevant in the primaries and caucuses because it will hold a presidential primary on the relatively early date of Feb. 22, 2028. For Democrats, that is their fifth-overall contest on the calendar. Meanwhile, Republicans have not formally decided if they will participate alongside Democrats in a primary that could break national GOP rules.

That possibility alone should put Michigan on every serious candidate’s radar. So should this year’s Senate race. Rogers faces Democrat Abdul el Sayed in a contest that could decide control of the chamber.

WITH ABDUL EL SAYED WIN, MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS FALL TO THE MAMDANI LEFT

Michigan Republicans need Trump voters, but they cannot make November a referendum on an unpopular Trump. Cruz, Youngkin, or DeSantis could have helped Rogers rally the base while making their own connections for 2028.

That should have been reason enough to come to the convention.

Dennis Lennox (@dennislennox) is a political commentator and public affairs consultant.