House Democrats just added eight new seats to their target list.
According to the New York Post, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is now trying to flip 66 House districts. That is double the number they called “in play” before the 2024 election cycle even started. The new targets include districts held by Reps. Jack Bergman, Derek Schmidt, Brad Knott, Jeff Van Drew, Stephanie Bice, Michael Baumgartner, and Ben Cline. They also added the open seat in Texas’ 9th Congressional District. Every single one of these seats is rated “likely” or “solid” Republican by the Cook Political Report.
Rep. Suzan DelBene, who leads the DCCC, said the move shows confidence. “Democrats are continuing to expand the midterm map into deep red territory as Republicans run scared,” she said in a statement. She added that voters are “fed up with Republicans’ broken promises.” She claims Democrats are focused on lowering costs and tackling corruption. Here is the thing. The party holding the White House usually loses seats in midterms. They have done so in all but two elections since 1938.
Yet Republicans are sitting on a massive mountain of cash. According to the latest Federal Election Commission filings, the National Republican Congressional Committee has $89 million ready to spend. The DCCC has $76 million. The gap is even wider at the national level. The Republican National Committee holds $125 million in cash. The Democratic National Committee has only $16.9 million and carries $17.6 million in debt. Despite that cash advantage, polls show Democrats leading. According to reports, Democrats hold an 8.3 percentage-point advantage in the generic congressional ballot. House Speaker Mike Johnson is working hard to change those numbers. He has been aggressively campaigning with Republicans in the toughest districts.
Stay with me, because the story gets personal in Maine. Democrats feel good about Troy Jackson’s chances against Senator Susan Collins. Four months ago, this looked impossible. Their previous candidate, Graham Platner, suspended his campaign over serious allegations. That threw the party into chaos. Now, with 33 days left, they see a path. Joe Baldacci, a Democratic state senator, told the Washington Examiner that voters have moved on from the scandal.
“People aren’t really talking about Graham Platner anymore, and they’re really talking about the economy, Trump, and you know whether Susan Collins is still an effective senator for us or not,” Baldacci said. Some Democrats believe the Senator’s time is up. Jim Kessler, who previously worked for Chuck Schumer, stated to the Washington Examiner that voters seek novelty and the Collins magic is destined to fade. Others say Jackson’s quiet style works better than flashy ads. Baldacci noted that while Jackson lacks “pizzazz,” he has substance. He remarked that while there is diminished pizzazz, the substance has increased significantly, which he believes will outweigh the lack of flair.
Not everyone agrees. A recent video of Jackson drinking boba tea drew criticism. In the clip, he was asked, “Republicans spend $46 million on these TV ads. Who’s gonna be convinced by that?” He answered, “The 1 percenters,” while photos of Collins and Elon Musk appeared on screen. Critics called the ad “cringey.”
Democrats hope Jackson’s campaign will finally beat the odds. Baldacci noted that everyone eventually reaches a point where odds cannot be beaten, adding that Troy Jackson’s campaign appears strong enough to achieve this.
