IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
ICYMI: ‘Red to Blue’: The DCCC’s 2016 offensive battlefield
The Hill
By Ben Ray Luján
February 12, 2016
This week, I was proud to announce the first round of Democratic House candidates named to the DCCC’s competitive “Red to Blue” program; an important marker in our cycle-long offensive strategy to expand the battlefield and put the House majority in play.
For the past year, while national attention has been focused on chasing presidential candidates through the early nominating states, the DCCC has been strategically recruiting candidates in Republican-held districts that will be competitive this cycle. With higher turnout in a presidential year, weak and untested Republican incumbents in competitive districts, and strong Democratic candidates across the country, House Democrats are on offense. From Maine to California, Florida to Utah, the high-quality candidates represented in the Red to Blue program will seize on the many opportunities presented by a Republican party that has been pulled to the extreme right by Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, already dragging down vulnerable House Republicans in the process.
Within the Red to Blue program, there are sixteen Red to Blue candidates ready to win with top-notch campaigns, five highly-competitive Red to Blue districts where we are confident the Democrat who wins the primary will be competitive in the general election, and ten Emerging Races that are meeting key metrics and are on track to achieve full Red to Blue status. With a record number of women and people of color on the list, this great group of candidates also moves us one step further toward the critical goal of electing a Congress that looks more like America. Of course, that work is never finished.
These candidates have a unique understanding and connection with their districts, and they will have the team, strategy and resources to meet voters where they are, tell their personal stories, and convey their readiness to keep them safe and fight for an economy that works for everyone.
A notable feature of our offensive strategy is to support candidates in certain Democratic primaries who have surpassed the district-specific goals laid out for them. These candidates have worked hard to earn their Red to Blue status, and while it may seem novel that the Committee is getting involved in districts with primary contests, it is a natural extension of our offensive strategy. We will be prepared to take on the Republicans in the general election and ensure Democratic victories in winnable districts this Fall.
This is just the first round of Red to Blue, and more Democratic candidates and districts will be added over the course of the cycle. Democratic candidates are running in nearly 60 competitive House districts across the country, and we—with an assist from the Republican presidential nominating process—continue to stay on offense and expand that battlefield.
Luján is the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.