DALLAS — Republicans concluded their two-day midterm convention here Thursday with an orderly event and a familiar political problem: President Donald Trump’s appeal remains powerful with the party’s core voters but risks alienating the independents and moderate voters Republicans need to hold Congress. The convention, held at the American Airlines Center, was organized quickly and initially drew skepticism from party officials who worried it would look improvised. Instead, the program ran largely on time, security and transportation proceeded smoothly, and organizers closed with a traditional balloon drop. That operational success did not translate into broad confidence about the November elections. “It went basically as well as it could have,” one Republican strategist working on midterm races said. “No harm done, but also doesn’t change much of anything.” Trump repeatedly urged Republicans watching the convention to imagine that he himself was on the ballot. The appeal was designed to motivate voters who turn out inconsistently in midterm elections, and some party allies said it gave activists renewed focus for door-knocking and get-out-the-vote efforts. But Republican candidates in competitive House districts worried that the same message could drive anti-Trump voters to the polls. A GOP county chair in a region where Trump is unpopular said voters could use congressional races to register their opposition to the president. One House Republican said the approach might help the party’s base but would not persuade independents or swing voters. Several lawmakers in competitive races who did not attend the convention were reportedly discouraged by Trump’s remarks. The convention also left unanswered questions about the economy. Democrats are expected to focus heavily on the war with Iran and its impact on household costs, but most Republican speakers did not address those issues in detail. Trump’s pledge to send every American adult a $5,000 payment if Republicans retain control of Congress attracted attention, though Republicans concerned about federal deficits quickly pushed back against the proposal. Republicans also privately pressed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and other administration officials about emergency steps to increase refinery capacity and lower gasoline prices. At a breakfast with Virginia Republicans, one House member raised the issue with Burgum, according to a person familiar with the discussion. No new cost-of-living initiative was announced at the convention. A former Trump administration official said the gathering did not provide candidates with a clear economic plan for the weeks before Election Day. “Not sure he offered a vision for the next 60 days,” the person said. “Trump’s economy is still on a collision course with reality.” The program emphasized issues that animate conservative voters, including immigration and transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports. Candidates in pivotal Senate contests, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Michigan Republican Mike Rogers, received prominent speaking slots. Vice President JD Vance drew strong cheers during his keynote address. He discussed parental rights, criticized Democrats and urged voters who disagree with some administration policies to compare what he described as the parties’ competing records. Republican strategist Mark Bednar, a former communications director for Speaker Kevin McCarthy, said Vance had presented himself as an effective messenger against Democratic candidates. Bednar called the convention a success but said Republicans would need to sustain the momentum. Another Republican operative said Vance’s speech and the convention’s production quality exceeded expectations, while acknowledging that few moments appeared likely to break through widely on social media. That uncertainty reflects the limits of conventions in a fragmented media environment. Some Republicans questioned whether many voters watched the televised program at all, particularly because football games competed for attention on both nights. For the party, the gathering demonstrated that Trump can still command the room and rally Republican activists. It did not resolve whether that energy can be converted into support from voters concerned about prices, or whether tying down-ballot candidates so closely to Trump will hurt them in districts and states where the president remains divisive.