Miami
House Democrats add three more candidates to their Red to Blue program
The DCCC expanded its top-target recruitment program to 40 candidates, adding contenders in Alaska, Michigan and Wisconsin. The three races span very different political terrain as Democrats push to retake the House.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added three more candidates to its Red to Blue program, a designation that provides selected House contenders with extra party support and resources, Roll Call reported.
The latest expansion brings the program to 40 candidates as Democrats grow more confident about their chances of winning back the House this fall, according to the outlet.
The new additions are Bill Hill, a commercial fisherman and former regional school superintendent running for Alaska’s at-large seat; Will Lawrence, a progressive activist seeking Michigan’s 7th District; and Mitchell Berman, an emergency room nurse running in Wisconsin’s 1st District.
DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said in a statement that the three candidates are practical leaders capable of competing in difficult districts. She also said that, with fewer than 50 days until the election, voters are prepared to elect new House leadership.
In Alaska, Hill is running as an independent rather than a Democrat. Roll Call said that approach has also been used by centrist candidates in other Republican-leaning states where the Democratic label has been a liability. Local Republicans, the outlet added, have accused such candidates of obscuring their partisan ties.
Hill has framed his campaign around an Alaska-first message and is challenging Republican freshman Nick Begich. He finished second behind Begich in the August all-party primary and ahead of Anchorage pastor Matt Schultz, a Democrat who had dropped out before the primary and later endorsed Hill. Democrat Eric Hafner and Libertarian Jim McDermott also made the November ballot. Roll Call reported that Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Likely Republican.
In Michigan, Lawrence is taking on Republican Rep. Tom Barrett in one of the country’s most competitive districts. A co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, he won the Democratic nomination last month in the Lansing-based 7th District with 44 percent of the vote, while two more moderate rivals split the remainder, according to Roll Call.
Roll Call also said Lawrence has faced scrutiny in recent weeks over past social media posts in which he expressed far-left views, including signals of support for abolishing police and prisons. Even so, his inclusion in Red to Blue shows Democrats still believe the seat is in play. The outlet added that Donald Trump carried the district by less than 2 points in 2024 and that Inside Elections rates it a Toss-up.
In Wisconsin, Berman is challenging Republican Rep. Bryan Steil in the 1st District south of Milwaukee. Roll Call reported that by late July, Steil held a major fundraising edge, with $6.3 million on hand compared with $152,000 for Berman, who also had to emerge from a competitive primary.
The outlet noted that Steil has consistently outperformed the top of the ticket in previous elections. He won reelection in 2024 by 10 points, while Trump carried the district by 4 points. Inside Elections rates that race Solid Republican, according to Roll Call.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
