Top Dem group reveals new congressional targets in bid to flip House: 'Proven fighters'
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has expanded its Red to Blue program with the addition of five new candidates, bringing the total number of districts the committee is targeting in the battle for the U.S. House of Representatives to 37.
The newest additions were announced this week and include Tom Perriello in Virginia's 5th Congressional District, Nancy Lacore in South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, Matt Dunlap in Maine's 2nd Congressional District, Zach Dembo in Kentucky's 6th Congressional District and Leela Gray in Florida's 13th Congressional District.
The Red to Blue program is designed to provide strategic guidance, staff resources, training and fundraising support to Democratic contenders running in competitive districts where the party believes it has a realistic chance of flipping a seat from Republican control.
In a statement, DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene, a Democrat from Washington state, praised the slate of new candidates.
"All of these candidates are proven fighters who are running strong campaigns, talking to every voter, and building coalitions across the ideological spectrum to power their victories in November," DelBene said.
She added that the candidates would emphasize concerns about Republican leadership in Congress, arguing that voters are feeling the effects of unfulfilled promises.
"American families are struggling under the broken promises and higher costs caused by House Republicans, and they're eager for leaders who will always put the well-being of their communities first, not rubber-stamp Trump's failed agenda," DelBene said.
A common thread among the five new candidates is a background in public or military service.
Gray, who secured the Democratic nomination in Florida's 13th District earlier this week, is a retired Army brigadier general with three decades of service. Lacore, the Democratic hopeful in South Carolina's 1st District, is a former three-star Navy admiral. Dembo, running in Kentucky's 6th District, served as a Navy judge advocate general (JAG) officer and later as a prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Dunlap, who is competing in Maine's 2nd District, previously served as Maine's Secretary of State. Perriello, the Democratic nominee in Virginia's 5th District, is a former congressman seeking a return to Capitol Hill.
The Maine race stands out as the most narrowly decided district among the new additions. In 2024, Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat, won the seat by just 0.6% of the vote. Golden has since announced he will not seek re-election, leaving the seat open and creating a competitive race.
Florida's 13th District was also decided by a single-digit margin in 2024, while Virginia's 5th, South Carolina's 1st and Kentucky's 6th were won by Republicans by an average of about 19 percentage points, according to recent election data.
With their primary contests behind them, all five candidates are now focused on the November 3 general election, when voters across the country will decide which party controls the House. Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the chamber, making every competitive district a potential factor in determining the balance of power in Washington.
The DCCC's expansion of the Red to Blue program signals the party's belief that the political landscape is shifting in its favor and that a growing number of seats once considered safely Republican could be within reach in the upcoming election cycle.
