Democrats target 42 state chambers with $50 million for 2026

The DCCC is targeting 35 Republican-held House seats, including several Trump won by double digits in 2024. The target list includes familiar battleground incumbents like 🌽Nebraska's Don Bacon, 🌽Iowa's Mariannette Miller-Meeks, 🔔Pennsylvania's Scott Perry and Ryan McKenzie, 🏔️Colorado's Gabe Evans, 🚗Michigan's Tom Barrett, and 🌵Arizona's David Schweikert and Juan Ciscomani. Democrats need to net three seats to flip the House, making these races critical. The aggressive targeting shows confidence that Trump's second term will create backlash.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is Senate Democrats' top target in the 2026 midterms. Collins has held her seat since 1997 and is viewed as vulnerable due to her moderate reputation conflicting with Trump's more extreme positions. Democrats in 🦞Maine are set to decide a competitive primary between Gov. Janet Mills and Graham Platner. Mills has statewide name recognition and fundraising ability. A competitive primary could weaken the eventual nominee.

In 🌲North Carolina, Democrats landed their top recruit when former Gov. Roy Cooper announced his Senate run in Jul. 2025 after months of speculation about his political future. Cooper served two terms as governor and left office popular. His entry into the race gives Democrats a strong challenger against an open Republican seat or a Republican incumbent. North Carolina has trended purple in recent cycles, making it a genuine pickup opportunity.

Democrats will compete in 🌰Ohio now that Sen. Sherrod Brown decided to run against appointed Sen. Jon Husted for the seat. Brown previously held the seat until 2024 and has deep roots in Ohio politics. Husted was appointed by the governor to fill the vacancy. The rematch sets up a battle between an established Democrat and a Trump-aligned Republican in a state that has shifted red but still has Democratic pockets in urban and industrial areas.

Former 🐻Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola announced she would challenge Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, giving Democrats their best chance to flip an otherwise difficult seat. Peltola won Alaska's at-large House seat in 2022 and 2023 before losing in 2024. Her success in a red state demonstrated crossover appeal with independent and Republican voters. Alaska's ranked-choice voting system could benefit Peltola if she can consolidate non-Trump voters.

Democrats appear determined to keep their campaign messaging fixated on affordability, an approach that helped them win big in off-year elections in 2025. The strategy focuses on high costs, healthcare access, and economic relief for working families. This message resonated in 2025 special elections, where Democrats won or overperformed in 225 out of 253 key and special elections, achieving success in nearly 90% of all races. The consistency suggests Democrats believe economic populism can beat Trump-era culture war messaging.

🏛️Virginia Democrats appear poised to try to amend the commonwealth's constitution to redraw the congressional map and target as many as four Republicans. This reflects Democrats' willingness to use redistricting as an offensive weapon where they control state government. Constitutional amendments in Virginia require passage by two consecutive legislative sessions and a statewide referendum. The effort signals Democrats' long-term strategy to lock in gains through redistricting.

The 2026 midterms represent a historic opportunity for Democrats to capture new state legislative majorities, supermajorities, and trifectas. The DLDemocratic Legislative Campaign Committee is focusing on 🚗Michigan, 🦆Minnesota, 🍁New Hampshire, 🔔Pennsylvania, and 🧀Wisconsin, where small seat flips could shift control of chambers. State legislatures control redistricting, abortion policy, voting laws, and other critical issues. Winning these chambers would give Democrats power to shape policy even if Republicans control Congress or the White House.