Fully embracing the notion that they could actually wrest control of the House from Republicans, Democrats are hoping to expand the map with a slate of lesser-known candidates. In fact, they are exactly the type of House candidates that the Daily Kos Elections team often endorses. Take Christina Hartman, for example, who's running for an open seat in Pennsylvania once held by GOP Rep. Joe Pitts, PA-16, a Republican stronghold for decades. Jason Dick writes:
Pitts was elected in 1996. He succeeded Republican Robert S. Walker, who was elected in 1976. Walker succeeded Republican Edwin Eshleman, who was elected in 1966. Lancaster County has long been a bedrock for the GOP in the Keystone State.
“I’ve spent most of my career walking into politically toxic environments,” Hartman says, referencing her previous jobs at Freedom House and the National Democratic Institute, groups that look to expand democratic institutions and human rights abroad. She describes Republicans here as having lost touch with voters, which, along with demographic changes favoring Democrats, has provided an opening. An internal poll that showed her within striking distance to her GOP opponent, state Sen. Lloyd Smucker, convinced the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, House Democrats’ campaign arm, to take her seriously, particularly given Hillary Clinton’s strength in Pennsylvania’s presidential race.
“They’re asleep at the wheel,” she says of Republicans. “We’re about to upend something that’s been in place a long time.”
I don't know about you, dear reader, but I'm pretty jazzed after that assessment. Anyway, this Roll Call article has an in depth look at some critical races, but here's the basics:
Please pitch in $1 to each of our slate of 11 endorsees to help expand the map for a Democratic takeover.
- Democrats need to flip 30 seats to win a majority
- The DCCC’s Red to Blue program currently includes 38 candidates, but four of them are actually defending seats previously held by Democrats (so winning them wouldn’t represent pick ups)
- Democrats are defending 11 incumbents among their Frontline Democrats who represent swing districts
- Democrats now have nine candidates, like Hartman, in their Emerging Red to Blue program
The following seven candidates are Daily Kos endorsees who are also currently listed as DCCC "Emerging" candidates and potentially in the running to be promoted to the Red to Blue program. Being a full Red to Blue member increases a candidate’s national profile and usually increases their fundraising capacity. A promotion from second string to first string often comes down to a candidate’s demonstrated ability to fundraise. You can click on any of these Daily Kos endorsees to directly support their candidacy. Let’s expand the map!