In a sign that Democrats are going on offense, the party’s campaign arm has added five Republican-held seats to its list of potential pickups for 2026.
On Wednesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that California’s 48th, Florida’s 15th, North Carolina’s 3rd and 11th, and Texas’ 35th Congressional Districts are now officially on its radar.
“The DCCC is confident we can win anywhere, and we are full speed ahead while Republicans are running scared,” DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington said in a statement. “House Democrats have the better message, stronger candidates, and as the data shows, the American people are on our side.”
Democrats are feeling emboldened after sweeping wins in November’s elections and a surprisingly strong showing in a recent special election in Tennessee, where the Democratic nominee outpaced President Donald Trump’s margin of victory in a ruby-red district by 13 points.
The announcement also comes on the heels of Democrat Eileen Higgins’ victory in the Miami mayoral race on Tuesday, flipping the seat blue for the first time in nearly 30 years. While off-year mayoral races aren’t always indicative of a midterm electorate, both parties viewed the contest as a potential bellwether of national mood.
“All year long, Democrats have overperformed by double digits, and just last month we carried every single competitive House district in New Jersey and Virginia,” DelBene said. “We are full speed ahead while Republicans are running scared.”
The addition of these districts brings the DCCC’s total number of GOP-held and open seats “in play” to 39. Only one open Democratic seat, in the district of retiring Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, is on the list.
The National Republican Congressional Committee pushed back.
“Democrats can daydream about ‘expanding’ the House map all they want, but reality keeps smacking them in the face,” spokesperson Mike Marinella said. “The Democrat Party is in a fight for its soul, dominated by far-left chaos and radical policies that don’t reflect the issues important to working families.”
Several of the new additions are tied to redistricting battles. In North Carolina, Republicans pushed through a partisan gerrymander that targets a seat held by Democratic Rep. Don Davis. But in doing so, Republicans weakened another district, held by Rep. Greg Murphy.
The DCCC now sees that seat as a potential pickup while also targeting GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards’ seat, though his district wasn’t significantly changed by redistricting and will be a tougher seat for Democrats to win.
Democrats also see potential in Texas’s 35th District, which was redrawn from a Democratic stronghold into what would have favored Trump by 10 points in 2024.
There are reasons to think that Democrats could make real gains in Texas, especially if they can chip away at the GOP’s recent inroads with Hispanic voters—support that Democrats argue may not stick. Early polling suggests GOP gains among Latino voters may be even more fleeting.
California’s new addition is the seat of Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican whose district Democrats redrew to lean more Democratic. Issa had considered relocating to Texas to run for another seat but ultimately decided to stay put.
Florida rounds out the list with Rep. Laurel Lee’s district, which Trump carried by 11 points.
Taken together, the expanded map reflects Democrats’ offensive posture. In a year where a blue wave remains possible, the party sees more opportunities than ever to pick up seats and push for a House majority in 2026.
