On Tuesday, the DCCC added five candidates to their Red to Blue program, which promises to help Democratic candidates the committee regards as its strongest recruits in the seats it considers its top priorities:
● IN-09: Shelli Yoder
● NY-01: Anna Throne-Holst
● NY-03: Tom Suozzi
● NY-19: Zephyr Teachout
● NY-21: Mike Derrick
Anna Throne-Holst, Tom Suozzi, and Zephyr Teachout only won the Democratic nod late last month, so it’s not a surprise that the DCCC waited until now to add them to Red to Blue. All three are running in competitive seats that Obama carried, though the open 3rd District is Democratic-held.
The other two additions are a bit more notable. Mike Derrick has been languishing on the DCCC's lower-tier Emerging Races list for months, and he's finally been upgraded. Derrick, a retired Army colonel, is challenging freshman Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik in a rural upstate seat that backed Obama 52-46, but where Republicans usually do well downballot. Stefanik is well-connected and at the end of June, she held a $1.4 million to $450,000 cash-on-hand edge. So far, neither the DCCC nor their allies at House Majority PAC have reserved any fall airtime in the 21st, though the DCCC’s move signals that they’re taking Derrick seriously.
The most surprising move is adding Shelli Yoder, a Monroe County councilor, to Red to Blue. Yoder is running in an open southern Indiana seat that backed Romney 57-41; even 2012 GOP Senate nominee Richard Moudock narrowly carried the 9th while he was losing statewide 50-44. However, Republican nominee Trey Hollingsworth only moved to the state just before launching his campaign last year, which could give Yoder an opening in this tough area.
A month ago, Yoder released a poll showing her tied with Hollingsworth, and the DCCC seems to agree that this contest is competitive: Interestingly, they added her to Red to Blue without sending her through the lower-tier Emerging Races first. Neither major Democratic group has reserved any fall airtime here yet, but that may change now that the DCCC is taking a clear interest in the contest.
The DCCC is also restocking their Emerging Races list, which essentially serves as the farm team for Red to Blue:
● AK-AL: Steve Lindbeck
● AZ-02: Matt Heinz
● CA-21: Emilio Huerta
● CA-49: Doug Applegate
● KS-03: Jay Sidie
● MI-06: Paul Clements
● MI-08: Suzanna Shkreli
● PA-16: Christina Hartman
● SC-05: Fran Person
● VA-05: Jane Dittmar
The only Emerging Races candidate who faces a competitive primary is Matt Heinz, who faces fellow ex-state Rep. Victoria Steele on Aug. 30. Steele has had trouble raising cash, which may explain why the DCCC is playing favorites here. Freshman Republican Rep. Martha McSally is defending a seat that backed Romney just 50-48, but McSally has a huge warchest. National Democrats also have yet to make any reservations in the 2nd, though maybe that will change if Heinz makes it though the primary.