Democratic leaders add six Trump‑won districts to House target list
House Democratic leaders announced on Oct. 5, 2026 that they have added six congressional districts Trump's 2024 margin of victory of at least 16 points to their list of House targets.
The expansion deepens the party’s focus on traditionally Republican territory as the 2026 midterm elections approach, signaling an aggressive effort to flip seats that were once considered safely red.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) said the six new candidates join its Red to Blue program, bringing the total number of supported challengers to 46. The program offers strategic guidance, staff resources, training and fundraising support to its participants.
The newly added candidates are physicist Chris Jones in Arkansas’s 2nd district, combat veteran Dwayne Romero in Colorado’s 3rd, former news anchor Eliott Rodriguez in Florida’s 27th, former Nevada Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez‑Thompson in Nevada’s 2nd, dairy farmer Blake Gendebien in New York’s 21st, and Tennessee state Rep. Justin J. Pearson in the 9th district.
DCCC Chairwoman Rep. Suzan DelBene (D‑WA) said the candidates are “winning over voters with their message of lowering costs — from gas and groceries to health care and housing.”
Democrats currently hold 215 House seats and need a net gain of three to claim the 218‑seat majority. The Cook Political Report projects a Democratic win, estimating a gain of five to 15 seats, which would put the party between 220 and 230 seats.
Republican fundraising remains a challenge for the DCCC; the National Republican Congressional Committee reported $89 million on hand compared with the DCCC’s $76 million, while the Democratic National Committee holds significantly less cash. Nonetheless, RealClearPolitics’ aggregate of polls shows an 8.5‑point advantage for Democrats on the generic congressional ballot.
As the campaign season accelerates, the expanded candidate slate will receive intensified national support, and the DCCC plans to deploy additional resources in the weeks leading up to Election Day, hoping the broader outreach will translate into flipped districts and a restored House majority.
