The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is supporting five new candidates in competitive districts less than 100 days before the November midterm elections, signaling confidence as both parties vie for control of the House of Representatives.
The DCCC has added five candidates to its "Red to Blue" program, which provides funding and resources to campaigns considered winnable. The candidates are physician Amish Shah in Arizona's 1st congressional district, former principal Pia Dandiya in Florida's 22nd, former chaplain Lindsay James in Iowa's 2nd, math teacher and union leader Jake Johnson in Minnesota's 1st, and firefighter Sam Forstag in Montana's 1st.
Several of these districts are currently held by Republicans. This includes Minnesota's 1st, represented by Rep. Brad Finstad. Three others are open seats: Arizona's 1st, previously held by Rep. David Schweikert; Iowa's 2nd, from which Rep. Ashley Hinson is running for U.S. Senate; and Montana's 1st, where Rep. Ryan Zinke is retiring.
The Florida seat is currently held by Rep. Lois Frankel, a Democrat, but was reconfigured by Republicans to be more competitive for the GOP. Frankel is now running in the adjacent 23rd congressional district.
DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene stated that "the American people have soured on Republicans’ broken promises and failure to lower costs." She added, "Voters are outraged by higher prices on everything and a war of choice spiraling out of control. They are eager for change and new leaders who will fight for them, not be a rubberstamp for Donald Trump."
Republicans are preparing to campaign across the country in August, aiming to defy historical trends where the president's party often experiences significant losses in Congress during midterm elections. They are highlighting recent victories by Democratic socialist candidates in primaries as evidence that the Democratic Party is moving too far to the left.
House Democratic leaders, however, have largely dismissed these criticisms, emphasizing Republicans' perceived inaction on reducing living costs for Americans.