DCCC names 12 challengers to initial 'Red to Blue' list

Daniela Altimari, CQ-Roll Call on Feb 23, 2026

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WASHINGTON — The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Monday named a dozen challengers running in Republican-held districts to its inaugural list of candidates slated to receive extra attention and resources.

The “Red to Blue” list provides a glimpse into how Democrats view the House battleground and the candidates the party believes will resonate with voters in the runup to the midterm elections.

The Democrats on the program’s roster are bound by a desire “to fight for hardworking families in their districts — not the billionaires bankrolling Republicans’ corrupt and divisive machine,’’ DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene of Washington said in a statement. “They are laser-focused on lowering costs, saving health care, and putting people first.”

Candidates in the Red to Blue program will receive “strategic guidance” along with extra resources, training, and fundraising support, according to the committee.

House Democrats need a net gain of three seats to win the majority in November, provided the current vacant seats do not change party hands in upcoming special elections.

The Red to Blue candidates include several Democrats running in districts President Donald Trump carried by double digits in 2024, such as former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, who is challenging Republican Rep. Eli Crane in Arizona’s 2nd District, and Columbia, Tennessee, Mayor Chaz Molder, who is running against GOP Rep. Andy Ogles in Tennessee’s 5th District.

Other contenders on the DCCC list are running in highly competitive battlegrounds such as districts in Iowa and Pennsylvania, which have topped Democrats’ target list all cycle.

In Iowa, the party is backing former state Rep. Christina Bohannan, who is making her third run against Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the 1st District, and Lutheran minister Sarah Trone Garriott, who is taking on GOP Rep. Zach Nunn in the 3rd District.

In Pennsylvania, the Red to Blue candidates are Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, who is running against freshman Rep. Rob Bresnahan in the 8th District, and former television journalist Janelle Stelson, making her second bid to unseat Rep. Scott Perry in the 10th District.

The other candidates on the Red to Blue list include:

—Retired Marine JoAnna Mendoza, who is challenging Rep. Juan Ciscomani in Arizona’s 6th District.

—Michigan state Sen. Sean McCann, who’s running against Rep. Bill Huizenga in the state’s 4th District.

—Farmer Jamie Ager, who launched a bid against Rep. Chuck Edwards in North Carolina’s 11th District.

—Henrico County, Virginia, prosecutor Shannon Taylor, who is currently challenging Rep. Rob Wittman in the 1st District but will switch to a different seat if a new Democratic-drawn map is approved.

—Former Rep. Elaine Luria, who is making a comeback bid against Rep. Jen Kiggans in Virginia’s 2nd District.

—Small-business owner Rebecca Cooke, who is making a third run against Rep. Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin’s 3rd District.