WASHINGTON — House Democrats are growing their list of seats to flip with one month to go before the midterm elections, as polls show them favored to regain control of the lower chamber of Congress after four years in the minority.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) new targets include districts held by Reps. Jack Bergman (R-Miss.), Derek Schmidt (R-Kansas), Brad Knott (R-NC), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.), and Ben Cline (R-Va.), as well as the open seat in Texas’ 9th Congressional District.
All of those seats are rated as “likely” or “solid” Republican by the Cook Political Report election handicapper.
The DCCC currently considers 66 House districts to be “in play,” double the number to receive that designation ahead of the 2024 House election.
“Democrats are continuing to expand the midterm map into deep red territory as Republicans run scared,” DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) contended in a statement.
“Democrats are poised to win the House majority in November because voters are fed up with Republicans’ broken promises while Democrats are focused on lowering costs, tackling corruption, and making life easier for hardworking families,” she added.
The party in control of the White House has lost House seats in all but two midterm elections (1998 and 2002) dating back to 1938.
GOP leaders have insisted that they still have a path to hold the House, underscoring how polls have underestimated their support in past election cycles.
“Democrats can slap a ‘battleground’ label on any district they want, but wishful thinking doesn’t change the fundamentals of the House map,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Mike Marinella told The Post in response to the DCCC’s move.
“While they chase imaginary fairytales and get dragged left by their socialist nominees, House Republicans are outraising, outspending, and outworking Democrats where the majority will actually be won.”
Republicans also boast a near-unprecedented cash advantage over Democrats in the annals of modern politics. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) had $89 million cash on hand, compared to the DCCC’s $76 million, according to the latest Federal Election Commission filings.
The GOP’s war chest advantage is even more pronounced in the national party apparatus, with the Republican National Committee having $125 million cash on hand, compared to the Democratic National Committee’s $16.9 million cash on hand and $17.6 million in debt.
Despite the mountain of cash Republicans are sitting on, Democrats have an 8.3 percentage-point edge in the generic congressional ballot, according to the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate of polls.
