DCCC’s Historic Battlefield: A Game Changer

TO: Interested Parties

FROM: Amanda Sherman, DCCC Expansion Press Secretary

DATE: November 8, 2018

RE: DCCC’s Historic Battlefield: A Game Changer

Early on, the DCCC recognized that House Democrats faced two key structural disadvantages: a Republican gerrymandered map, and a massive Republican outside money advantage. Therefore, the DCCC set out to build the largest battlefield in a decade, to both win as many races as possible and to dilute the Republican outside money advantage across as many districts as possible. Based on Republican investments, and key Democratic victories in Trump districts, it’s clear that the DCCC’s strategy worked.

DCCC’s Winning Strategy to Expand the Battlefield

It was a strategic DCCC imperative to build a huge battlefield that gave Democrats multiple paths to the majority. The DCCC started laying out an aggressive battlefield in January 2017 that grew to over 110 districts. The DCCC then needed to recruit candidates who have deep records of service and independent profiles who could win in tough districts.

That massive battlefield necessitated that the DCCC expand staff capacity so that expansion candidates – deep into the map – could still have strong and steady communications with the DCCC. In January 2018, for the first time ever, the DCCC brought on a team of strategists to work specifically with emerging races – The Expansion Pod.

The Expansion Team was composed of a communications, digital, finance, and two political strategists who together provided strategic guidance and expertise to candidates in over 60 races so that they could run viable, if not highly competitive races.

DCCC Strategy Successfully Spread GOP Resources Thin

With the strength and depth of the battlefield, we were able to successfully put Republicans on defense and spread Republicans thin financially. In 17 Expansion Districts the NRCC and Republican allies were forced to spend almost $16 million in TV ads.

A few examples:

• In late September, The Congressional Leadership Fund(CLF) announced that they would be pulling out of MI-08, once a top target, and moving $400,000 to MI-06 to bail out former Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton
• In West Virginia’s 3^rd Congressional District, which President Trump won by 50 points in 2016, Richard Ojeda was a fantastic candidate who drew Republican resources from other districts in the battlefield. Just two years after he won by 50 points, Trump’s PAC – America Action First – was forced to spend over $1 million to keep the seat.
• Between CLF and the NRCC, the GOP was forced to move money out of the core battlefield and attempt to make rescue efforts in WA-03, NC-02, NY-24, FL-15, FL-18, SC-01, AK-AL, MI-06, WV-03, OH-01, PA-10, PA-16, UT-04, KS-02.

In addition, the team was able to help candidates build a strong infrastructure to take advantage of the democratic fundraising enthusiasm. Democratic candidates in 60 expansion districts were able to raise $65 million.

• Washington Post: How small donations gave underdog Democrats a fighting chance for the House
  • “What Democrats’ money allowed them to do is expand the battlefield beyond the handful of most vulnerable Republican seats,” said David Wasserman, House editor of the nonpartisan Cook Report, a political handicapping website.
• National Journal: House Democrats’ Fundraising Juggernaut Stuns GOP
  • Republicans analyzing the new filings conceded they confirmed what Democrats have claimed since the beginning of the cycle—the battlefield is growing to massive proportions.

IL-14 & SC-01: Wins in Trump Districts the GOP Couldn’t Stop

Lauren Underwood, in Illinois’ 14^th Congressional District, a nurse and former Department Health and Human Services official, was able to harness incredible local support and successfully hold Randy Hultgren accountable for gutting health care for the people of Illinois.

• The DCCC added Lauren Underwood to our fourth round of Red to Blue in March of 2018, and the district was on the first round of targeted districts in January 2017.
• Underwood outraised Hultgren every fundraising quarter and raised a total of over $4 million, which allowed her to go up on broadcast TV and define herself several weeks before Hultgren and allies went up.
• Despite comments by NRCC Chairman Steve Strivers saying in reference to IL-14, “You can’t bring a seat on the map just by making it a target. They’ve got some preposterous ones on there,” the NRCC had to come in and spend almost $1 million to attempt to save the seat.

Joe Cunningham, in South Carolina’s 1^st Congressional District, was able to run a strong campaign with a laser focus on the issues impacting the Lowcountry and avoid getting derailed by curveballs like incumbent Mark Sanford losing or partisan national attacks.

• Due to a strong fundraising operation, Cunningham was able to go on the offense and communicate a positive message on TV two weeks before his opponent Katie Arrington went up, which forced her to be on defense the whole time.
• Only a month after NRCC Chairman Steve Strivers said, “I don’t expect we’ll have to spend any money” they spent over $230,000 to try and save the seat.
• Understanding that it wasn’t strategically smart to make this race partisan the DCCC worked behind the scenes by investing $181,000 to assist with TV ads and African American outreach.