Democrats on Tuesday expanded their battlefield in the fight for control of the House, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) adding three more GOP-held districts to its battleground “Red to Blue” program. The move comes amid growing confidence among party strategists that favorable political conditions and strong candidates have created new opportunities to flip Republican seats. The expansion broadens the party's map of targeted pickups, revealing growing optimism among Democrats about their chances in districts previously not considered to be top-tier battlegrounds.
Democrats need to add just four seats to take the majority in the lower chamber. Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, told Newsweek in an email, “Overall, Democrats could win the House without any of these [three new] districts, and we continue to favor them to win the majority in November.” Midterm elections are often a test of the party in power and the president's party has traditionally lost seats. Democrats rode a blue wave to pick up 41 seats in 2018, during the midterms of President Donald Trump's first White House term.
Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in both the House and Senate, and Democrats hope to flip both chambers. Ultimately, a small number of competitive districts will likely decide control of the House. A party needs to hold 218 seats to have control of the chamber.
The program provides candidates with organizational and fundraising support. According to the DCCC, “Candidates earn a spot in the program by surpassing aggressive goals for grassroots engagement, local support, campaign organization, and fundraising.” The latest additions to the Red to Blue program are Alaska's at-large district, Michigan's 7th District and Wisconsin's 1st District. In Alaska, the DCCC is backing independent candidate Bill Hill, a Dena’ina Athabascan commercial fisherman, union construction worker, and educator.
Democrats are trying to flip the seat currently held by incumbent Republican Nick Begich III. The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rate the race as likely Republican. Kondik told Newsweek in an email that the Alaska race is a “longer-shot Democratic target,” and noted that Hill is running as an independent.
In Michigan, which also features a pivotal Senate race this cycle, Democrats added William Lawrence to the Red to Blue program. Lawrence, a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, is challenging Republican Representative Tom Barrett in the 7th District. His candidacy initially raised concerns and hesitancy among some Democrats due to his progressive stances and now-deleted social media posts.
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