Democrats announce first slate of House candidates for ‘Red to Blue’ program

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has released a list of a dozen Republican seats from Arizona to Pennsylvania that they are targeting to flip this midterm cycle.

The list includes its first round of candidates named in the Democrats’ “red to blue” program aimed at helping the party recapture the majority in November.

Democrats are targeting Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District and 6th District presently represented, respectively, by Republican Reps. Eli Crane and Juan Ciscomani. The DCCC is getting behind former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez to run in Arizona’s 2nd District and throwing its support to Marine and Navy veteran Joanna Mendoza for the 6th District.

Democrats are also homing in on Iowa’s 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts, where Republican Reps. Marianette Miller Meeks and Zach Nunn, respectively, are currently serving.

Former Iowa state Rep. Christina Bohannan previously faced off against Ms. Miller Meeks in 2024 and lost the election by just 799 votes in this district, which President Trump won by eight-plus points in 2024.

Democrats are also throwing their support behind state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister, to challenge Mr. Nunn in the state’s 3rd District.

The 8th and 10th Congressional Districts of Pennsylvania, now represented by Reps. Rob Bresnahan and Scott Perry, respectively, are also being targeted by the DCCC. The Democrats are running Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti in the 8th District and local TV news anchor Janelle Stelson in the 10th.

Amid the redistricting battle in Virginia, Democrats are throwing their support behind Henrico County prosecutor Shannon Taylor for the state’s 1st Congressional District, held by Republican Rep. Rob Wittman, and former congressional Rep. Elaine Luria for the 2nd District, held by Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans.

The remaining four seats being targeted by the DCCC are the 4th Congressional District of Michigan, currently occupied by Republican Rep. Bill Huizinga; the 11th Congressional District of North Carolina, currently being represented by Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards; the 5th Congressional District of Tennessee, currently represented by Republican Rep. Andy Ogles, and the 3rd Congressional District of Wisconsin, currently represented by Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden.

Democrats are running state Sen. Sean McCann in the Michigan district, while in North Carolina, the party is running farmer and small business owner Jamie Ager in the 11th District.

In Tennessee’s 5th District, the DCCC is throwing its support behind Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, and in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, the party is backing small business owner and nonprofit leader Rebecca Cooke.

The DCCC will provide these candidates with strategic guidance, staff resources, training and fundraising support on the campaign trail to place them in the best potential position to win their respective races in November.

Republicans currently control the House with a slim majority consisting of 218 lawmakers to 214 Democrats and 3 vacancies.

“House Democrats are on offense and poised to take back the majority, thanks in large part to the strength of our candidates,” said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene. “The candidates named to this first round of our Red to Blue program are united by their desire to fight for hardworking families in their districts — not the billionaires bankrolling Republicans’ corrupt and divisive machine.”

Mike Marinella, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in response, “Someone needs to buy the DCCC a gift card to help pay for all the lipstick they’re putting on the pig that is their recruitment class. Their pathetic list of deeply radical candidates consists of recycled losers, far-left activists, and full-blown socialists who will be soundly rejected by voters across the country.”

The DCCC announced last week that it raised more than $10 million in January, beating its January haul from 2024. For the entire cycle to date, the DCCC has raised a total of $125.4 million, with $51.5 million cash on hand.

The NRCC, meanwhile, announced in late January the highest off-year fundraising numbers since 2021, with $13.6 million raised in December and $24.3 million raised in the 4th quarter of 2025. The NRCC raised $117.2 million for all of 2025 and currently has $50.7 million cash on hand.