The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats, said on Tuesday that it is adding five seats to its list of Republican-held districts that it is targeting to flip in the 2026 midterm elections.<\/p>\n
The committee, which says it is adding districts won by President Donald Trump in 2024 by 13% or less, is arguing that recent\u00a0Democratic performances in special elections<\/a>\u00a0shows a “sustained, dramatically positive political environment” for Democrats.<\/p>\n “Democrats are on offense, and our map reflects the fact that everyday Americans are tired of Republicans\u2019 broken promises and ready for change in Congress,” DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene, of Washington, said in a statement.<\/p>\n A view of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 6, 2026.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Alex Wroblewski\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The five districts added to the DCCC’s “Districts in Play” list — which now has 44 districts — include Colorado’s 5th congressional district, currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank; and Minnesota\u2019s 1st Congressional District, currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad.\u00a0<\/p>\n The additions to the list also include Montana\u2019s 1st Congressional District, currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke. Democrats have separately been highlighting smokejumper Sam Forstag\u2019s entrance into the race as offering the party a notable outsider candidate. Forstag faces Ryan Busse, Montana\u2019s 2024 Democratic candidate for governor, in the primary.<\/p>\n Virginia\u2019s 5th Congressional District, which has also been added to the list, is currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. John McGuire, but could be redrawn in the coming months by the state\u2019s Democratic-controlled legislature to allow Democrats to flip it — although\u00a0the mid-decade redistricting gambit<\/a>\u00a0still faces roadblocks and uncertainty.\u00a0<\/p>\n The other new district added as a target by the DCCC, South Carolina\u2019s 1st congressional district, is opening up as incumbent GOP U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace is running for governor.\u00a0<\/p>\n The DCCC says it has launched “nominee funds” for the target districts to support the eventual Democratic nominee in each one. The group rarely endorses candidates during primaries.<\/p>\n A U.S. Capitol Police officer patrols on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Washington.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Rahmat Gul\/AP<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n While recent special election results and\u00a0some polling, which have shown a lead\u00a0for Democrats on a generic congressional ballot, have given Democrats some room for optimism, they\u2019re still set to face a challenge in trying to flip the five new target seats, all of which the Cook Political Report rates as leaning Republican or solidly Republican.\u00a0<\/p>\n The National Republican Congressional Committee, the DCCC\u2019s GOP counterpart, also has\u00a0its own large target list<\/a>\u00a0of Democratic-held seats that Republicans are aiming to flip in the midterms.<\/p>\n Democrats will need to net 3 seats in the U.S. House to flip the chamber, if all of the\u00a0three current vacancies<\/a>\u00a0in the House are filled by members who belong to the same political party as the former incumbents. Republicans, meanwhile, hope to expand their majority in the U.S. House.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Busse\"](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/f01d6c82-d8e5-42ff-b193-0485e4b4c222\/capitol-embed_1770706960822_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg?w=375 "\\"Busse\\"")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>![\"Congress\"](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/cfc8baa3-cc9f-4cbf-8500-9ce1f76fb2ff\/capitol-main_1770706958550_hpMain.jpg?w=375 "\\"Congress\\"")
<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>