On Thursday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched the latest edition of its "Frontline" program, which is aimed at helping the most vulnerable Democratic House members as they head into the 2020 elections. The initial roster features 44 names—many more than usual, naturally, thanks to the party's huge success last year.
The list itself looks pretty much as you'd expect as well. It includes all but five freshmen who flipped Republican seats last year. The exceptions are Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02), Donna Shalala (FL-27), Dean Phillips (MN-03), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and Jennifer Wexton (VA-10). Of these, the most surprising omission is Kirkpatrick, though according to our House Vulnerability Index, her district is only the 38th most at-risk seat for Democrats next year.
Four of the Frontline members are freshmen who held at-risk Democratic seats in 2018: Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Susie Lee (NV-03), and Steven Horsford (NV-04). Meanwhile, there are only four non-freshmen on the list: Tom O'Halleran (AZ-01), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Matt Cartwright (PA-08), and Conor Lamb (PA-17).
The only truly vulnerable Democrat not on the list is Colin Peterson (MN-07), but he's always been left off the Frontline program in past years, perhaps because he thinks it helps him cultivate an independent image. If Peterson needs help from the DCCC, he'll undoubtedly get it, as he did in 2014.
Meanwhile, the National Republican Congressional Committee has released its first set of targets for 2020. It's entirely unsurprising except for the fact that, for once, it doesn't include the kind of goofy, not-in-your-wildest dreams seats that the GOP is notorious for adding to lists like these. It does include every member of Frontline (except, oddly, for Hayes), plus Kirkpatrick, Shalala, Phillips, and Wexton, as well as a number of non-freshmen in swingy districts, for a total of 55. As per usual, though, they've also added the chair of the DCCC. That's a little less silly than in the past because Cheri Bustos' district, IL-17, did at least narrowly vote for Trump.