DCCC Announced Its Target List For 2026— They Should Put More Energy Into Recruiting Good Candidates

Today's List Is Conservative And Unimaginative But, For Them, OK

They're gone... but the DCCC is determined to find plenty just like them

This morning the DCCC announced 35 GOP incumbents— or at least their districts, since some won’t be running for reelection— that they will be targeting in the midterms. It’s a decent list, although in light of the failing GOP policies, pretty conservative and unimaginative. These are the 35 districts:

• AK-AL- Nick Begich

• AZ-01- David Schweikert

• AZ-02- Eli Crane

• AZ-06- Juan Ciscomani

• CA-22- David Valadao

• CA-40- Young Kim

• CA-41- Ken Calvert

• CO-08- Gabe Evans

• FL-07- Coy Mills

• FL-13- Anna Paulina Luna

• FL-27- Maria Salazar

• IA-01- Mariannette Miller-Meeks

• IA-02- Ashley Hinson

• IA-03- Zach Nunn

• KY-06- Andy Barr

• MI-04- Bill Huizenga

• MI-07- Tom Barrett

• MI-10- John James (running for governor)

• MO-02- Ann Wagner

• NE-02- Don Bacon

• NJ-07- Tom Kean

• NY-17- Mike Lawler

• OH-07- Max Miller

• OH-10- Mike Turner

• OH-15- Mike Carey

• PA-01- Brian Fitzpatrick

• PA-07- Ryan Mackenzie

• PA-08- Rob Bresnahan

• PA-10- Scott Perry

• TN-05- Andy Ogles

• TX-15- Monica De La Cruz

• VA-01- Rob Whitman

• VA-02- Jen Kiggans

• WI-01- Bryan Steil

• WI-03- Derrick Van Orden

The DCCC’s big problem, of course, is that the New Dem leadership looks in the mirror, misinterprets the crap they see as perfect and always winds up recruiting absolutely terrible candidates. They could win all these districts— and more— except for the awful candidates they recruit. 

The only time that works is in a blue wave cycle— and this is likely to be that… so we’re going to wind up with lots of putrid freshmen Democrats in 2027, many of whom will be defeated in 2028 and, especially in 2030. 

10 districts the DCCC left out, if this is indeed a blue wave cycle:

• CA-03- Kevin Kiley

• CO-03- Jeff Hurd

• CO-05- Jeff Crank

• FL-04- Aaron Bean

• FL-15- Laurel Lee

• MT-01- Ryan Zinke

• NJ-02- Jeff Van Drew

• NY-01- Nick LaLota

• NC-11- Chuck Edwards

• WA-05- Michael Baumgartner

If you’re wondering about, for example, Alaska—which has a steep R+8 PVI— PPP just released a poll this morning showing Alaska could be shaky for the GOP next year, although the poll was focussed on Senator Dan Sullivan, not Begich. The poll found only 38% of respondents approving of Sullivan (47% disapproving), with just 31% terming him an independent voice for Alaska and 53% seeing him as a Trump puppet (a perfect description of Begich as well).