Particle.news
Download on the App Store
10 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

House Democrats Expand 2026 Target Map, Adding Five GOP Seats to ‘Districts in Play’

Party leaders cite recent special‑election gains to justify widening their House battlefield.

Official ballot box, San Francisco, California, January 29, 2026.
The U.S. Capitol is photographed, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Suzan DelBene during a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on Oct. 8, 2025.
Image

Overview

  • The DCCC’s offensive list grows to 44 with new targets in CO‑5, MN‑1, MT‑1, VA‑5 and South Carolina’s open 1st District as Nancy Mace runs for governor.
  • All five seats were carried by President Donald Trump in 2024 by 9 to 13 points and are rated likely or solid Republican by the Cook Political Report.
  • The committee is launching nominee funds and offering training, staffing and guidance to strengthen eventual Democratic nominees in the new targets.
  • Democrats point to consistent overperformance in special elections since late 2024 as a signal to contest deeper‑red territory.
  • Republicans hold a 218–214 House majority as Democrats seek a net gain of three seats, and VA‑5 could be reshaped by a mid‑decade map facing an April 21 voter decision and potential court review.