Educators, union leaders, a doctor, a minister, and a smokejumper
make up latest slate of candidates poised to help Democrats take back the House majority
Today, the DCCC announced five new top-tier candidates added to its highly competitive ‘Red to Blue’ program for the 2026 cycle. Today’s expansion brings the number of Red to Blue candidates to 30, highlighting how strong the quality of candidates are on the DCCC’s offensive map going into the last 100 days of the cycle. This latest group of candidates will receive strategic guidance, staff resources, training, and fundraising support to ensure they are in the best possible position to win in November.
“In less than 100 days, Democrats will take back the House majority and it will be powered by our incredible candidates such as the five named to Red to Blue today,” said DCCC Suzan DelBene. “Whether in suburban, rural, or redistricted seats, the American people have soured on Republicans’ broken promises and failure to lower costs. Voters are outraged by higher prices on everything and a war of choice spiraling out of control. They are eager for change and new leaders who will fight for them, not be a rubberstamp for Donald Trump.”
Red to Blue is a highly competitive and battle-tested DCCC program that arms top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them continue building winning campaigns. Candidates earn a spot in the program by surpassing aggressive goals for grassroots engagement, local support, campaign organization, and fundraising.
About the DCCC’s five New Red to Blue Candidates:
AZ-01 – Amish Shah
Amish Shah is an emergency room physician who is committed to serving his community. When he’s not picking up shifts in the ER, Amish is knocking on tens of thousands of doors in Arizona’s First Congressional District to hear directly from voters about what matters most to them. Amish understands that costs are squeezing families, and as a physician himself he’s seen the devastating impact of D.C. Republicans’ cuts to health care up close. He’s ready to go to Congress to improve Arizonans’ health care, lower costs, and fight for families. A former State Representative who’s already represented parts of AZ-01 in the State House, Amish is known as an independent voice who puts Arizona families before party politics. With a track record of rejecting partisan extremism, Amish is focused on getting things done for Arizona families.
FL-22 – Pia Dandiya
Born and raised in Palm Beach County, Pia Dandiya started her career as a teacher and high school principal. She went on to lead public sector initiatives in technology, working to advance bold solutions in education, health care, and state government. She lives in Palm Beach County with her husband and son, where her son attends the same school Pia’s mother founded over thirty years ago. A working mother who wants to write a new future, Pia is determined to make the American dream more accessible to South Floridians by addressing the affordability crisis, protecting essential programs like Social Security and Medicare, and holding Republicans accountable for their broken promises. Pia is ready to bring her proven record of leadership, her conviction in the power of our democracy, and her commitment to putting the American people first to Washington.
IA-02 – Lindsay James
Lindsay James is a public-school mom, former chaplain, Presbyterian minister, and Iowa state representative whose faith drives her to take on a broken system. Whether it’s fighting back against predatory corporate landlords, standing with workers screwed by corporations shipping jobs overseas, or working to lower the cost of lifesaving medication, Lindsay puts people before the powerful. This open seat race is a contrast between lobbyist, career politician, carpetbagger, and revolving door insider Joe Mitchell — versus a fighter for Northeast Iowa who will take on the corrupt system that Mitchell represents. A proven electoral overperformer with a message that resonates with Iowans failed by a broken Washington, Lindsay will flip this seat.
MN-01 – Jake Johnson
The son of a garbage collector and a meter reader, Jake Johnson and his ten siblings grew up in a working class family that worked hard to achieve the American dream while relying on Medicaid and SNAP. Now a public school math teacher and leader in his union, Jake is running for Congress because Southern Minnesota is struggling — and D.C. swamp creature Brad Finstad is making things worse for families like the one he grew up in. Jake will work to bring down costs, tackle corruption, go after wasteful spending and misuse of taxpayer dollars, and invest in Minnesota’s small towns. While Finstad prioritizes special interests and refuses to show up for Minnesotans, Jake will put families and farmers first. In this district twice won by Amy Klobuchar, Jake is the candidate who will flip this seat and bring change to Southern Minnesota.
MT-01 – Sam Forstag
Sam Forstag is a working Montanan, union leader, and smokejumper who is running to put working people first – to lower costs, raise wages, and fight corruption in Washington. After putting himself through school at the University of Montana, Sam climbed the ranks in the U.S. Forest Service to become a smokejumper, an elite firefighter who puts their life on the line parachuting into the wilderness to fight wildfires. As Vice President of National Federation of Federal Employees’ (NFFE) Local 60, Sam took a stand when Elon Musk took a chainsaw to public land agencies, organizing against the cuts and trying to get Ryan Zinke to act. Fed up with Zinke’s failure to fight for Western Montana as workers lost their jobs and costs skyrocketed, Sam decided to run for Congress himself to finally give working people a voice. While Zinke’s hand-picked successor Aaron Flint prioritizes shady backroom deals and championing reckless, cost-hiking policies, Sam is focused on finally delivering for Western Montana.
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