Democrats expand House map targeting more GOP seats in midterms

Emboldened, congressional Democrats are widening their battleground for next year’s midterm elections, when Republicans will defend their slim majority in the House.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) on Wednesday added five additional offensive opportunities in California, Texas, Florida and North Carolina to its list of what it considers vulnerable Republican-held districts.

The DCCC’s decision follows Democrats’ decisive electoral victories in last month’s 2025 elections and their overperformance in last week’s congressional special showdown in a solidly red Tennessee district, where a progressive Democratic candidate lost by 9 percentage points, narrowing the margin President Donald Trump won in the district in the 2024 election by 13 points.

Four of the new districts the DCCC is adding to its list of “offensive targets” were won by Trump by 13 points or fewer in last year’s election. The president lost the fifth district added to the Democratic map.

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Republicans will defend their slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in next year’s midterm elections, while Democrats work to regain control of the chamber. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

“The DCCC is confident that we can win anywhere, and we are moving forward at full speed while Republicans are afraid,” touted Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state, chair of the DCCC.

DelBene emphasized, “This year, in election after election, voters have sent a simple message: They are ready for change. The American people are unhappy with Republicans’ broken promises to cut costs and their reckless policies that are making everything from groceries to health care to housing to utilities more expensive. »

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The change in the DCCC map is also due to the high-stakes redistricting battle in Congress between Republicans and Democrats, including in Texas and North Carolina, where Republicans have created more right-wing districts but which Democrats still view as competitive, and in California, where Democrats have redrawn the maps to create more left-leaning seats.

Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California has been added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s list of what it considers vulnerable Republicans in next year’s midterm elections. (Getty)

House members added to the list due to redistricting are Republican Reps. Darrell Issa of California, Chuck Edwards and Greg Murphy of North Carolina. In Texas, the heavily redistricted 35th Congressional District in the San Antonio area was also added to the list.

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The new list also includes the seat held by Republican Rep. Laurel Lee of Florida and Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, a large, mostly rural district carried by Trump in his three presidential runs where Democratic incumbent Rep. Jared Golden is retiring rather than seeking re-election next year.

Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine is not seeking re-election in next year’s midterms. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Former two-term Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage is running for the seat.

These additions bring to 39 the number of House seats the DCCC considers “in play” next year.

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The rival National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) mocked the DCCC’s decision.

“Democrats can dream of ‘expanding’ the House map all they want, but reality keeps hitting them in the face. The Democratic Party is fighting for its soul, dominated by far-left chaos and radical policies that don’t reflect the issues important to working families.” NRC spokesperson Mike Marinella argued in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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Republicans, pointing to the four GOP-held seats added to the DCCC map, pointed to their party’s electoral success in those districts over the past decade.

The NRCC is currently targeting what it considers 29 vulnerable Democrats in next year’s midterm elections.