The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is adding six House of Representatives races to its "Red to Blue" program, a sign that Democrats are optimistic about their prospects in the 2026 midterm elections, thanks to a string of polls showing them ahead in key races.
The DCCC announced on Oct. 5 that these candidates in districts won handily by President Donald Trump in 2024 will receive strategic guidance and fundraising dollars.
Democrats are hoping to take advantage of Trump's approval rating reaching record lows, as Americans deal with high gas and grocery prices.
“The candidates added to our Red to Blue program today are winning over voters with their message of lowering costs — from gas and groceries to health care and housing," DCCC
Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Washington, said in a statement. "At a time when so many families are struggling to pay the bills, Americans deserve representatives who will actually fight to make their lives better."
In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries believes the Democrats are on the edge of claiming a broad majority to overtake the narrow, four-seat margin Republicans currently hold.
"I think we're heading for a more robust majority than that," Jeffries said. "The goal initially, of course, we’ve got to get to 218, and then we try and win as many seats on top of that as possible."
See which districts Democrats are targeting
The additions come after the DCCC announced on Oct. 2 that it was adding eight candidates to its program list that it deemed were "Districts in Play," bringing the overall number of the DCCC's Red to Blue candidates to 46. The latest candidates include:
Blake Gendebien, New York’s 21st District. The Democratic nominee and second-generation dairy farmer is running against Republican sticker magnate Anthony Constantino for the upstate New York seat to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik R-New York, a Trump ally who is retiring. Trump won the district by 21 points in 2024.
With Trump's endorsement, Constantino defeated the local Republican Party-backed Robert Smullen, a state assemblyman and former Marine, in the June GOP primary. Constantino faces defamation lawsuits filed against him by people he has targeted on social media and he is embroiled in a dispute with the New York Conservative Party chairman.
Justin Pearson, Tennessee's 9th District. Pearson is the Democratic nominee who's facing Republican nominee Brent Taylor in the newly drawn congressional district, previously based in Memphis and a former majority-minority, historically Democratic stronghold. The state's Republican lawmakers redrew the district in May, as it now stretches across mostly 15 rural, Republican-leaning counties from Memphis to Rutherford County, just southeast of Nashville. In 2024, Trump won the district within its current boundaries by 21 points. Trump endorsed Taylor, a state senator, in the GOP primary against another Republican state legislator.
Dwayne Romero, Colorado's 3rd District. An Army veteran, Romero is challenging Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colorado, in the northern Colorado district that includes the cities of Boulder, Fort Collins, Longmont, Vail, and Steamboat Springs. The district voted for Trump by 10 points. Hurd found himself on the wrong side of the White House earlier this year when he voted against Trump’s tariffs.
Elliott Rodriguez, Florida's 27th District. The former local news anchor is looking to beat incumbent Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Florida, in this Miami-area district. Salazar made headlines last week for a campaign ad distancing herself from Trump’s deportation agenda. "Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far," Salazar said in the ad. She added, "The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today." Trump won this district by 15 points two years ago.
Chris Jones, Arkansas 2nd District. Jones is facing House Financial Services Committee Chair French Hill, R-Arkansas, in a stretch of central Arkansas that includes the state capital of Little Rock. Trump won the district by 16 points two years ago.
Teresa Benitez-Thompson, Nevada's 2nd District. This area spans across the northern half of Nevada and includes the cities of Reno and Carson City, the state capital. The district, in which Trump won by 14 points in 2024, is considered an "open" race by the Cook Political Report to succeed the retiring Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nevada. Interestingly, Amodei has reportedly not endorsed Republican candidate David Flippo, who has Trump's endorsement.
Meanwhile, the Republican National Congressional Committee dismissed the latest DCCC moves, alluding to the fact that the GOP holds a fundraising advantage. With $89 million in campaign money, the NRCC has more to spend compared to the DCCC's $76 million, according to the latest Federal Election Commission filings.
"The DCCC is stretching its map a mile wide and an inch deep, pretending every district in America is suddenly a battleground," RNCC spokesperson Mike Marinella said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY. "Democrats can put as many names on a list as they want, but they’re still begging for resources just to match Republicans’ air superiority while bailing out their radical socialist nominees."
Contributing: USA TODAY’s Francesca Chambers, Zachary Schermele; Vivian Jones, USA TODAY Network
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democrats add 6 House races to their 2026 'red to blue' target list
