Amish Shah is an emergency room doctor and former state legislator, running for the open seat in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. Amish ran two years ago for this and came within 3.8 points of unseating a long-time incumbent Republican. His range of experience is vast: he’s provided emergency medicine with the Mayo Clinic and the New York Jets, and as a licensed pilot flew himself to provide care in remote rural regions in Arizona. In his five years in the State Legislature, Dr. Shah focused on increasing teacher pay, supporting small businesses, and improving public health and safety. He had more bills signed into law than any Arizona Democrat in the last decade. Endorsements for Shah include numerous Arizona and federal current and former office holders, and environmental, labor, Asian American, and animal welfare groups as well as J Street PAC, and won numerous from medical organizations.
JoAnna Mendoza AZ-06
JoAnna Mendoza is running to unseat two-term Republican Juan Ciscomani in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District – a race that’s rated a toss-up. Jo served two decades in military uniform, enlisting in the Navy at age 17 before joining the Marines. While in the Marines, she was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, served as a Drill Instructor, and also earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Intelligence Studies. Upon retiring, she returned home to Southern Arizona to raise her son as a single mom (by choice). She obtained a Master’s Degree in Leadership from Grand Canyon University, and embarked on a second career as a nonprofit leader, veteran advocate, congressional staffer, and policy expert, helping families access benefits and organizing community programs. Unlike her opponent, who has refused to hold “town hall” meetings and has served as a rubber stamp for the Trump agenda in Congress, Jo promises to be accessible to her constituents and search for policy solutions that put their needs and interests above Washington politics.
Manny Rutinel CO-08
Manny Rutinel, a 31-year old attorney and politician, is running to reclaim Colorado’s 8th district seat for the Democrats. His Republican challenger, Gabe Evans, won this seat in 2024 by less than 1% of the vote, and Rutinel is well-positioned to flip the district back in what is considered a tossup race. Born in California, Rutinel spent his early childhood in the Dominican Republic before returning to the U.S. at age six with his single Latina mother. His family relied on Medicaid, food stamps, and Manny’s odd jobs to make ends meet, and Rutinel credits these social safety nets with putting him on a path to success. He graduated from college with two degrees, and then obtained a Masters in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University, and a J.D. from Yale Law School. He served as an economist for the U.S. Army of Engineers, worked as an attorney for Earthjustice, and as CEO of Climate Refarm, a non-profit organization. Since October 2023, Rutinel has served in the Colorado House of Representatives. As a member of Congress, his priorities would include protecting and strengthening the social safety net that benefitted his family, as well as lowering costs for working families, expanding access to affordable healthcare, and stopping Trump’s immigration cruelty.
Christina Bohannan IA-01
Christina Bohannan is running for a third time to unseat three term Republican Marianna Miller-Meeks in Iowa’s 1st District. In 2024, Bohannan lost the race by only 799 votes. Bohannan is a youthful 54 year old law professor at the University of Iowa and former environmental engineer who served in the State House from 2021 to 2023. She has a real rags to riches story – her parents never finished high school and she grew up in a rural Florida trailer park. Bohannan went on to graduate first in her law school class and clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit. In Congress, Bohannan will take on greedy corporations responsible for price gouging and rising prices. She will also work to protect Medicaid and social security, lower costs for Iowans, and advocate for a middle class tax cut. She’ll protect veterans from unnecessary DOGE cuts, and call for more technical and vocational training for high-skill, high-wage jobs in Iowa. She’s received a good number of union endorsements and is the Democrat’s “Red to Blue” program. Bohannan’s opponent was an Army doctor/ophthalmologist for 24 years then served as state Public Health Department Director. Miller-Meeks is considered a moderate Republican but is endorsed by Trump and fully supports his agenda including the war in Iran. Trump’s policies and actions are disastrous for Iowan farmers, green energy and manufacturers, and for families who depend on ACA. Both candidates are strong fundraisers and have about $4M cash on hand. Both will benefit from party largesse. All the pundits rate this race a toss-up, but given Bohannan’s recent history of closing the vote gap between her and Miller-Meeks, Bohannan has a good chance of winning in November.
Sarah Trone Garriott IA-03
Four years ago (2022) Republican newcomer Zach Nunn won this seat with a razor-thin 50.3%, then defended it closely (51.8%) in 2024 (underperforming Trump by 0.5%). But Democratic challenger Sarah Trone Garriott is a formidable candidate in this least-Republican district in the state that includes Des Moines and surrounding counties. Here, Republicans have only a slight advantage in party registration (35.8% to 33.3%) with a significant number of independents (30%) who will likely swing the election. Trone Garriott is currently a State Senator (since 2020) and Lutheran pastor, and among those the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee believes to have the best chance of helping to flip the House. She faced no primary opposition, has nearly $1 million cash on hand (as of May), and so will present a strong challenge in November. Pundits The Cook Political Report, Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball and The Race to the White House all rate this contest a toss-up. With Trump’s tariffs hurting Iowa farmers and related businesses and his funding cuts to rural hospitals among policies adverse to the voters of this district, Sarah Trone Garriott stands a solid chance of election.
Christina Hines – MI-10
Christina Hines is aiming to flip the seat being vacated by Republican John James. Christina served as the Chief of the Special Victims Unit and Appeals in the Washtenaw County, Michigan, Prosecutor’s Office, focusing on cases involving victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking. She also expanded the Fair Michigan program to prosecute hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community. As the working mother of three young children, she knows firsthand the pressures working families are under. She is running on a platform centered on lowering costs for working families, honoring seniors, and getting corporate PAC money out of politics. Her opponent, Michael Bouchard, Jr., is entering politics after a decade in the military. Hines has kept pace with Bouchard in fundraising but a competitive primary race against several strong candidates leaves her with less cash on hand than Bouchard. The Michigan 10th seat was decided by just 1,500 votes in the last midterm election – Christina Hines is well positioned to prevail in 2026.
Don Davis – NC-01
In one of the most competitive House races of 2026, Congressman Don Davis is seeking reelection in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District after Republicans redrew the district to make it more favorable to their party. An Air Force veteran, former North Carolina state senator, and eastern North Carolina native, Davis has built a reputation as a pragmatic, moderate Democrat focused on economic development, rural healthcare, veterans, military families, and agriculture. First elected to Congress in 2022, he has emphasized bipartisan problem-solving and support for the region’s large veteran and military communities. Despite facing a more challenging political environment following redistricting, Davis has demonstrated strong fundraising strength, raising more than $3.2 million and reporting nearly $2.9 million cash on hand as of March 31, 2026. National political observers view NC-1 as a top-tier battleground and one of the most important races in the fight for control of the U.S. House.
Rebecca Bennett – NJ-07
Originally from a small town in Texas, Bennett is a decorated former Navy helicopter pilot who attended Cornell University on an ROTC scholarship. She used the GI Bill to earn an MBA from The Wharton School and started a career in healthcare after retiring from active duty and moving to New Jersey. She is married to another veteran and has two young daughters. In her campaign, Bennett focuses on bringing down the high cost of living, expanding access to health care, supporting military families and veterans, and protecting national security. NJ’s 7th district is pretty evenly divided between registered Democrats (31%), Republicans (34%), and unaffiliated (34%). Last year, voters chose Governor Sherrill (D) by 3.2 points. Trump won the district in 2024 by only 1.2 points.
Gabriel Vasquez – NM-02
Gabriel Vasquez (NM-2) represents one of the geographically largest and most sparsely populated districts in the United States. Vasquez is a first generation Mexican-American in a majority Hispanic district who is proud of his record of working in a bipartisan manner dating back to his time in municipal government in Las Cruces, NM. Running for his third term, Vasquez faces a challenging race with a Republican opponent who is a veteran and a former police officer running on the basis of his deeply felt Christian faith and his service to country. Vasquez is a former public relations professional and an executive with a conservation non-profit in New Mexico. He has worked extensively on ways to ameliorate climate change and to expose minority youth exposed to and appreciative of the outdoors. Vasquez is one of 13 House Democrats in a congressional district Trump won and Vasquez continues to be targeted by the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, which calls the Republican nominee part of their future “MAGA majority.”
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Cait Conley – NY-17
Cait Conley won a three-way primary battle for the Democratic nomination in June and now faces two-term Republican Congressman Mike Lawler in this Hudson Valley district. Conley is a charismatic, former West Point grad who served in the US Army for 16 years, then as a staffer on the National Security Council. Lawler faces an uphill battle for re-election, having to defend President Trump’s policies and the increasing skepticism of his commitment to middle-class concerns. Consequently, this race is deemed a toss-up by the Cook Political Report, Inside Elections and Race to the White House. Conley’s disadvantage is that while Lawler has been a prodigious fundraiser and was unopposed in the primary, she’s had to spend nearly all of her campaign funds in the primary – and must now re-load. But she will get much help from national Democrats, as this seat is considered by the party to be among the top six most vulnerable held by Republicans nationwide.
Greg Landsman OH-01
Greg Landsman is running for re-election in Ohio’s first congressional district In southwest Ohio. Redistricting in October 2025 changed this district from Democratic +6 to Republican +2. Rep. Landsman defeated long-time incumbent Republican Steve Chabot in 2022. Landsman is a former high school teacher with degrees from Ohio University and an MA from Harvard in religious studies. He served on the Cincinnati City Council from 2018 to 2022. He has a good chance of retaining his seat if he can turn out his base in Cincinnati and its northern suburbs to offset the red, rural voters added to his new district. He will face a first time candidate, Eric Conroy, who is a former CIA officer and Air Force Academy graduate.
Marcy Kaptur – OH-09
Marcy Kaptur, the longest serving woman in congressional history, faces what may be her toughest race ever. The Ohio state Republican party, which controls all the levers of power in OH state government, redistricted the state’s congressional map with the express goal of defeating Kaptur. After decades of popular support in her Toledo-based district where she served a diverse constituency, state Republicans added two extremely conservative counties to her district – turning it from a district that Trump won by 7 points to one that he would have won by more than 10 points. Kaptur, who has been a champion for preserving manufacturing jobs and fighting for access to healthcare, is considered among the most vulnerable of Democratic incumbents. She also faces her 2024 opponent Derek Merrin, who is not only well-known to district voters from his previous effort but has the financial backing of numerous Republican PACs.
Bob Brooks – PA-07
Bob Brooks is running to flip Pennsylvania’s toss-up 7th Congressional District and regain the seat for the Democrats. Bob likes to point out that his opponent, one-term Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, has spent his entire career since college and business school as a politician. A lifelong politician is exactly what Bob is not. Raised in North Adams, MA by a single mom, Bob went straight to work after high school holding jobs as a dishwasher, short-order cook, bartender, landscaper, warehouse worker, pizza delivery driver, and more, before moving to Pennsylvania in 1992.
He has been a firefighter in Bethlehem for more than 20 years, and, after rising in the ranks, became president of the state firefighter’s union. In that role, he helped negotiate fairer contracts for firefighters and fought for state laws ensuring better healthcare, livable wages, and safer working conditions.
Bob plans to continue fighting for working families after he’s elected to Congress. He’s targeting the long list of laws and policies that favor billionaires and corporations at the expense of working people, focusing on areas such as health care, housing, child care, labor, education, taxation, and more. And he’s targeting his Republican opponent, who has voted with his party consistently since winning his race in 2024 by a bare one percent of the vote.
Paige Cognetti – PA-08
Paige Cognetti is running in PA‑8, a district that has swung between the parties and remains highly competitive. A pragmatic Democrat with deep executive experience, Cognetti currently serves as mayor of Scranton, where she has focused on fiscal responsibility, ethics reform, and rebuilding public trust after years of local turmoil. She built her career in finance and public service, including work in the U.S. Treasury Department during the Obama administration. Cognetti has earned a reputation as a data‑driven problem solver who prioritizes good governance over partisanship. She’s running against Republican incumbent Rob Bresnahan Jr., a first‑term congressman, who has spent much of his first term in office trading stocks of companies whose fortunes are influenced by Congress. For Democrats and independents who value competence over ideology, Cognetti’s record matters: she has shown she can win tough administrative fights, attract investment, and deliver measurable improvements without relying on partisan rhetoric. That track record is especially relevant in a swing district where persuading undecided voters and demonstrating stewardship of taxpayer dollars can decide close races.
Janelle Stelson – PA-10
Janelle Stelson is an Emmy Award–winning broadcast journalist, born in Fairbanks, Alaska, who grew up in the Seattle area. She graduated from the University of Puget Sound and later moved to Harrisburg, PA to join WHTM-TV as a reporter. In 1997, Janelle joined Central Pennsylvania’s biggest station, WGAL-TV 8, as news anchor and has won high ratings (Emmys) for her 11 pm broadcast. A former Republican, she had not run for office before 2024. That year she came within 1.3 points of beating 6-term MAGA election-denier Scott Perry for this congressional seat. She has an impressive array of supporters from Emily’s List to the United Mine Workers of America and numerous other unions. Major pundits call this race a toss-up.
Bobby Pulido – TX-15
Bobby Pulido, born José Roberto Pulido Jr. in Edinburg, Texas in 1973, is a Grammy-winning Tejano musician and the son of legendary Tejano artist Roberto Pulido. After announcing a farewell music tour in 2024, Pulido entered politics, launching his campaign for Texas’s 15th Congressional District in September 2025. He won the Democratic primary decisively in March 2026, defeating physician Ada Cuellar 68% to 32%, and is now running against Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz in the November 2026 general election, campaigning on affordability, healthcare access, and reconnecting working-class Latino voters across South Texas with the Democratic Party. His crossover appeal shows up clearly in the numbers: a Barbara Jordan/Texas Southern University poll from August 2026 found him with a net favorability of +11, compared to De La Cruz’s net favorability of −2, and the same poll showed him leading her 50% to 45% head-to-head. That shift has helped move the race from a comfortable Republican hold as recently as July to a Toss-up rating from Sabato’s Crystal Ball and a Tilt Republican rating from Inside Elections by late August — with prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket now pricing the contest as a near coin-flip.
Elaine Luria – VA-02
Elaine Luria represented VA’s 2nd congressional district from 2019 to 2023, elected with a number of “national security Democrats” to the House. Born in 1976 in Alabama, she went to the US Naval Academy and served in the Navy for 20 years, attaining the rank of Commander. She lost her seat after serving on the committee investigating the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol and then being targeted by the far right. In this heavily military district, her focus has remained on foreign policy, national security, and veterans’ issues. Luria is facing a rematch with Republican Jen Kiggans, and major pundits call this race a toss-up.
Rebecca Cooke – WI-03
Rebecca Cooke is in her second match-up against two-term Congressman Derrick Van Orden. Cooke ran 2.5 points behind Van Orden in 2024. Raised on an Eau Claire dairy farm, Cooke is a waitress and a small business owner who advocates for small towns, rural communities, and bringing more working class voices to Congress. Governor Tony Evers took notice of Rebecca’s business leadership and activism on behalf of entrepreneurship by making her the youngest appointee to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Her priorities include healing the healthcare system, creating an economy built for working families, ensuring that seniors can age with dignity, improving water quality and investing in clean energy. Interviewed on MSNOW about voter disaffection with Republican representatives, Cooke promises to fire up grassroots support against Van Orden in a race that most of the pundits are rating a toss-up.
