Our Priority House Races
The Cook Political Report, a respected political analysis website, regularly assesses the competitiveness of critical House races across the country that will determine control of the House. At Activate America, we are focused on uplifting Democrats in these races to give Democrats the greatest opportunity possible to retake Congress.
Learn more about the candidates we are supporting and opposing, then join us for an action soon. This year, we have a golden opportunity to elect leaders who will put people first.
Click on the states to read more about our priority House race.
Alaska
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MAGA freshman Congressman Nick Begich III hasn’t been in office for long, but he sure seems committed to hurting the people he’s supposed to serve. He cast the deciding vote to take health care away from more than 35,000 Alaskans, and he’s refused every effort since to restore their health care coverage. Alaskans deserve better, and they have an opportunity for new leadership this year.
About AK-AL:
PVI: R+6
2024 House Results: Nick Begich III (R) 48.4% v. Mary Peltola (D) 46.4%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 54.5% v. Kamala Harris (D) 41.4
Arizona
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An election denier who voted to overturn the presidential election AFTER the deadly insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, Rep. David Schweikert has never been afraid to let his MAGA extremist flag fly. Now, he’s running for Governor, making the competitive AZ-01 election wide open.
About AZ-01:
PVI: R+2
2024 House Results: David Schweikert (R) 51.9% v. Amish Shah (D) 48.1%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 51.1% v. Kamala Harris (D) 48.0%
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Rep. Juan Ciscomani missed his calling as a ventriloquist, because he’s a master of talking out of both sides of his mouth. He voted to kick 13 million Americans off of their health care, even after signing a letter acknowledging that “Medicaid [is] expected to bear the brunt of these reductions.” But he also claims that protecting Medicaid is his top priority. You can’t have it both ways, Congressman.
1 in 4 of his constituents depend on Medicaid to stay healthy, and they deserve a Congressmember who will vote to save Medicaid, not destroy it.
About AZ-06:
PVI: EVEN
2024 House Results: Juan Ciscomani (R) 50.0% v. Kirsten Engel (D) 47.5%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 49.8% v. Kamala Harris (D) 49.1%
California
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Rep. David Valadao represents more Medicaid recipients (68% of CA-22 residents) than any other Member of Congress.
You’d think he’d be laser-focused on protecting their health care. You’d be wrong. Valadao voted to gut Medicaid and kick 13 million Americans off of their health care, putting his loyalty to Trump above the needs of his constituents.
Luckily, this ailment has a remedy: vote him out, and Democrats have a strong candidate in Visalia School Board Member Randy Villegas. His priorities are Central Valley priorities: lower the cost of groceries, crack down on utility price gouging, cap the price of prescription drugs, and build more affordable homes.
CA-22 is the most Democratic district represented by a Republican, and with the help of Activate America volunteers, the conditions are ripe for a Villegas victory.
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After CA-48 became more Democratic under Prop 50, Congressman Darrell Issa skedaddled out of the running. It’s now an open seat, and Democrats have a strong contender in San Diego Councilmember Marni von Wilpert.
A former prosecutor who stood up to polluters and Big Pharma, von Wilpert is no stranger to taking on powerful special interests. She’s also proven she can win competitive elections, flipping her San Diego council seat from red-to-blue. Now she’s ready to take on ICE abuses, prevent insider trading in Congress, and reduce red tape to build more affordable homes.
Republicans are hinging their hopes on San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, who dismissed concerns about rising fuel costs caused by Trump’s war of choice in Iran. “No pain, no gain,” he said. Now we know the consequences of the foolish war Desmond supported: a lot of pain and absolutely no gain.
Democrats have the edge in this race, but we can’t take anything for granted. After a contentious primary, we have work to do to solidify Democratic support behind von Wilpert and ensure that this seat is flipped in the blue column.
Colorado
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When Rep. Gabe Evans voted to gut Medicaid, he wanted you to believe it won’t cut benefits, only “fraud, waste, and abuse.” Hogwash. One in four people in CO-8 depend on Medicaid to stay healthy, and he knows quite well that his actions will lead to 13 million Americans losing their health care.
After DOGE made sweeping cuts to the VA, costing many veterans their jobs, Evans also denied that there would be any impact to VA services. He can deny reality all he wants; we’ll make sure CO-8 voters know the truth.
Iowa
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799 votes. That’s what separated Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks from her Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan in 2024. The gap between them was 20,774 in 2022. Now, they’re once again head-to-head, and in this political climate, we think third time’s the charm.
Representing such a highly contested swing district, you’d think Miller-Meeks would be focused on being a bipartisan bridgebuilder and defending her constituents from the worst excesses of the Trump Administration. Instead, she’s been a party line vote for the President, joining her Republican colleagues in decimating Medicaid and voting to continue the Trump tariffs that have wreaked havoc on Iowa family farmers.
Luckily, Iowa families have a champion in former State Representative Christina Bohannan. She grew up in a mobile home, the child of parents who didn’t graduate high school. She found her path to the middle class through public education, and she’s committed to keeping the door open behind her for the next generation of Iowans. Bohannan’s priorities: lower costs, restore faith in our government, and fix our broken health care system.
IA-01 is a toss up, and we can’t wait to make this the year it finally flips toward someone who will fight for the people of Iowa.
About IA-01:
PVI: R+4
2024 House Results: Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) 50.1% v. Christina Bohannan (D) 49.9%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 53.5% v. Kamala Harris (D) 45.0%
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With MAGA diehard Rep. Ashley Hinson running for U.S. Senate, her Congressional seat is now up for grabs. IA-02 residents have been especially hard hit by Trump’s disastrous tariffs, which Hinson has said are “good for Iowa producers”. IA-02 residents can expect more of the same if they elect Republican Joe Mitchell, Trump’s Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development of the Great Plains Region.
There’s a better alternative on the ballot: Iowa State Representative Lindsay James. A former chaplain and professor, James capped the price of insulin, protected mobile home residents from price gouging, and co-founded Iowa’s first bipartisan caucus, working to break through MAGA obstruction to deliver actual improvements in peoples’ lives.
As Trump’s economic policies continue to devastate communities in IA-02, Democrats have a real chance at flipping this seat.
About IA-02:
PVI: R+4
2024 House Results: Ashley Hinson (R) 57.1% v. Sarah Corkery (D) 41.5%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 54.1% v. Kamala Harris (D) 44.2%
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While the Trump Administration fired veterans left and right and caused long delays at the VA as part of its DOGE purge, Rep. Zach Nunn stood by and said nothing.
It’s the standard operating procedure for Nunn: profess bipartisan bona fides while rubberstamping everything Trump wants. Nunn voted to preserve the Trump tariffs that plague Iowa families, voted to kick thousands of Iowans off of their health care, and voted for Medicaid cuts that are already closing Iowa clinics. Bold votes in a toss up district like IA-03.
Now, Nunn faces the campaign of his life against Iowa State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott. A minister and mother, Garriott has proven that she can win in a competitive district, and her priorities meet this moment: she’s committed to banning insider trading, cracking down on price gouging, ending Trump’s reckless tariff policy, and rolling back the Medicaid cuts that Nunn voted for.
This is a seat ripe for the taking, and we’re committed to helping Garriott win.
About IA-03:
PVI: R+2
2024 House Results: Zach Nunn (R) 51.9% v. Lanon Baccam (D) 48.1%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 51.6% v. Kamala Harris (D) 47.1%
Maine
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ME-02 was one of the most difficult seats for Democrats to hold even before Congressman Jared Golden’s retirement. Now that it is an open seat, the road ahead is fraught but achievable. Multiple Democrats have entered the fray, while Donald Trump has endorsed Maine’s wacky former Governor Paul LePage. We’ll work to boost Democratic turnout in ME-02 and elevate the winner of the Democratic primary.
About ME-02:
PVI: R+4
2024 House Results: Jared Golden (D) 50.2% v. Austin Theriault (R) 49.7%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 53.5% v. Kamala Harris (D) 44.5%
Michigan
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In a district that Trump only won by six points, Congressman Bill Huizenga has hitched his electoral hopes on his close allegiance to Donald Trump. Like most of his Republican colleagues, he voted to gut Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act while giving himself and other millionaires and billionaires a huge tax cut. Now he’s in trouble.
Polling out of MI-04 shows this race is neck-and-neck, and Huizenga’s leading Democratic opponent even outraised him in the first quarter of 2026.
This is a race we can win.
About MI-04:
PVI: R+3
2024 House Results: Bill Huizenga (R) 55.1% v. Jessica Swartz (D) 43.4%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 51.9% v. Kamala Harris (D) 46.4%
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Voters in Michigan’s 7th District have learned to expect little from Rep. Tom Barrett, but the least he could do is host a town hall to explain why he refuses to stand up to the Trump Administration when it seeks to decimate the Social Security Administration, VA, and Department of Education. Despite repeated calls from his constituents to host an in-person town hall, Barrett has refused to schedule one. Why is he hiding from his constituents?
About MI-07:
PVI: EVEN
2024 House Results: Tom Barrett (R) 50.3% v. Curtis Hertel (D) 46.6%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 49.9% v. Kamala Harris (D) 48.6%
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As Trump imposes capricious tariffs on steel, aluminum, and other goods essential to the U.S. car industry, you’d think the representative of Michigan’s 10th District would be sounding the alarm. The car industry has a rich history in MI-10, but when repeatedly pressed on the tariffs, Rep. John James simply deflected, denying the reality that they are hurting his constituents. Now that he’s hoping to fail upward in a bid for Governor, we have an opportunity to elect a Member of Congress who isn’t trying to put the U.S. economy in reverse.
About MI-10:
PVI: R+3
2024 House Results: John James (R) 51.1% v. Carl Marlinga (D) 45.0%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 52.2% v. Kamala Harris (D) 45.7%
Nebraska
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In 2024, NE-02 was one of only three House districts in the entire country where both Kamala Harris won and a Republican won re-election. It’s now the only one of those three districts where the incumbent has retired. This is a race we should win, but we’re taking nothing for granted.
Democrat Denise Powell is a small business owner and healthcare advocate who has worked to elect pro-choice leaders up and down the ballot in Nebraska. In Congress, she’s committed to rolling back Trump’s tariffs, reinvesting in public education, and lowering prescription costs.
On the Republican side, Omaha City Councilmember Brinker Harding has the "complete and total endorsement" of Donald Trump, although Trump is conspicuously absent from Harding’s website. We think we know why. While Harding will do Trump’s bidding, he knows that Trump is deeply unpopular in NE-02. From rising fuel prices to destructive tariffs to neighbors going without healthcare, Harding will continue the same failed policies that brought us to this point. He even supported the War in Iran.
Change is coming to NE-02. We’ll make sure of it.
About NE-02:
PVI: D+3
2024 House Results: Don Bacon (R) 50.9% v. Tony Vargas (D) 49.1%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Kamala Harris (D) 51.6% v. Donald Trump (R) 47.0%
New Jersey
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New Jersey receives $1.2 billion every year from the Department of Education. With the Trump Administration working to abolish the department, New Jersey students deserve champions in Congress who will protect them.
Residents of NJ-07 have repeatedly asked Tom Kean, Jr. to host a town hall to explain why he’s silent on the Department of Education cuts and other disastrous Trump Administration policies like the tariffs and freezing Alzheimer’s and cancer research. We’ll update you if Kean stops hiding from his constituents.
About NJ-07:
PVI: EVEN
2024 House Results: Thomas Kean, Jr. (R) 51.7% v. Sue Altman (D) 46.3%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 49.6% v. Kamala Harris (D) 48.5%
New York
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They say if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life, and luckily for Rep. Mike Lawler, he loves depriving women of their reproductive rights.
While a member of the New York State Legislature, Lawler voted against protecting doctors who provide reproductive care and against enshrining abortion rights into the State Constitution. He even praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
He might have finally met his match in Cait Conley, a no nonsense combat veteran and national security expert with deep roots in the district. Conley served as Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council under President Biden, a position where she regularly worked with Members of Congress from both parties to keep our nation safe.
Now she’s focused on the struggles at home: lowering costs for Hudson Valley families, stopping attacks on our democracy, and codifying reproductive rights in federal law.
Conley has stood up to much tougher foes than Congressman Lawler, and we can’t wait to see her flip NY-17.
About NY-17:
PVI: D+1
2024 House Results: Mike Lawler (R) 52.2% v. Mondaire Jones (D) 45.8%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Kamala Harris (D) 49.9% v. Donald Trump (R) 49.3%
North Carolina
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After North Carolina Republicans gerrymandered the state at Donald Trump’s bidding, they hoped NC-01 would fall comfortably in their hands. Luckily, Congressman Don Davis stepped up to the challenge, and he’s mounting a serious campaign that can keep this district blue.
A former U.S. Air Force officer and educator, Congressman Don Davis has long served the people of North Carolina as a State Senator and more recently as a Member of Congress. Davis has fought for health care affordability and shipbuilding funding and secured more than $300 million in investments for the region.
On the Republican side, Trump’s Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy Laurie Buckout is up for Round 2 after losing to Davis in 2024. AI companies are spending lavishly to help her win, and we know why: she’s a rubber stamp for corporate interests and Trump’s pay-to-play politics.
This is a difficult seat to hold, but we have a strong incumbent up against a Trump appointee who has never held elected office. With hard work, this is one we can win.
Ohio
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Previously a Cincinnati City Councilman and advocate for early learning, Rep. Greg Landsman defeated a 13-term Republican incumbent in 2022. This impressive feat shocked the Republican Party in Ohio, and this year, they want to get even. They’ve redrawn OH-01 to be more MAGA-friendly, but Landsman has faithfully represented his district, voting to lower health care costs and make record-setting investments in Ohio infrastructure. He’s also authored a package of bills to restore the American Dream; he calls it the Great American Comeback. But first, let’s make sure he comes back to Congress.
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Rep. Marcy Kaptur is a force of nature. Long known as a devoted friend to workers and the labor movement, she has bucked the MAGA tide in Ohio for years, consistently winning in a district where Trump has done well. Ohio Republicans have stacked the deck to defeat her through mid-year redistricting, but if anyone can prevail under these circumstances, it’s Kaptur. We helped her win in 2024, and we’re all in to secure her victory in 2026.
Pennsylvania
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PA-01 is one of only three Republican-held House districts in the country that Kamala Harris won in 2024. Democratic Senator Bob Casey also won in this district in his narrow Senate loss in 2024.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick claims to be independent-minded, but under Trump, he has let his true colors show. He is an anti-choice extremist who has voted for a national abortion ban, and he has consistently voted to cut transit funding that will likely force local transit rate hikes.
This year, Democrats have recruited a strong contender in Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie. A former teacher, Harvie is working to lift up middle class Pennsylvanians left behind by the policies of Fitzpatrick. He’s committed to raising the minimum wage, rolling back Trump’s tariffs, and banning Members of Congress from trading individual stocks.
Fitzpatrick has outperformed the Republican brand in the past, but with the makings of a Blue Wave election, he has a lot to answer for. We’re hopeful Harvie is the solution voters are seeking.
About PA-01:
PVI: D+1
2024 House Results: Brian Fitzpatrick (R) 56.4%-Ashley Ehasz (D) 43.6%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Kamala Harris (D) 49.7% v. Donald Trump (R) 49.4%
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The modern Republican Party is no stranger to anti-abortion extremists, but Ryan Mackenzie gives the worst of them a run for their money.
He voted for an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest and calls himself “100%” anti-abortion. When he’s not busy interfering in health care decisions, he votes against raising the minimum wage, against investing in Pennsylvania’s aging infrastructure, and against enshrining workers’ rights to collectively bargain and join a union into the State Constitution. One thing he voted for: gutting Medicaid and kicking 13 million Americans off their health care.
Who better to stamp out Mackenzie’s extreme record than a firefighter? For 20 years, Bob Brooks served as a CIty of Bethlehem firefighter, saving lives and protecting the homes and businesses of his neighbors. That’s his vision for Congress too: establishing a health care system that everyone can afford, cracking down on price gouging, raising the minimum wage, and preventing private equity firms from colluding to drive up housing costs.
We’ve won this seat before, and in 2026, we intend to win again.
About PA-07:
PVI: R+1
2024 House Results: Ryan Mackenzie (R) 50.5%-Susan Wild (D) 49.5%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 51.1% v. Kamala Harris (D) 47.9%
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Rep. Rob Bresnahan is really adamant that he opposes gutting Medicaid, yet he voted to do just that. He wants PA-08 voters to listen to what he says, not what he does. When given the choice between siding with Trump or siding with his constituents, Bresnahan chooses Trump every time.
In a district where the affordability crisis is hitting especially hard, voters have a strong alternative: Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti. As Mayor of Scranton, she’s overseen budget surpluses and brought a return of new businesses to the Electric City. She’s committed to a government that serves the people, stopping insider trading in Congress, cutting red tape to bring more manufacturing jobs to NEPA, and ending the Trump tariffs.
PA-08 has been one of the most contested House seats for many election cycles, and with rising costs caused by Trump’s failed agenda, the time is right to bring this one back in the blue column.
About PA-08:
PVI: R+4
2024 House Results: Rob Bresnahan (R) 50.8% v. Matt Cartwright (D) 49.2%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 53.8% v. Kamala Harris (D) 45.4%
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Rep. Scott Perry played a central role in the efforts to overturn American democracy after the 2020 election. Among the numerous texts he sent to high-ranking Republican operatives plotting to overthrow the election was one asking the Trump Administration to invalidate the vote in Pennsylvania.
When he’s not busy trying to steal elections, Perry serves as a rubber stamp for the Trump Administration, voting to gut Medicaid and refusing to speak out against massive cuts to the Social Security Administration, VA, and Department of Education.
We came tantalizingly close to defeating Perry in 2024, with Democrat Janelle Stelson losing by just 5,133 votes. A local TV broadcaster for three decades, Stelson has a deep understanding of the concerns and priorities of PA-10 voters; she’s told their stories. Now, those stories inform her priorities for Congress: preserving Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, protecting a woman's right to choose, lowering costs, and helping small businesses and family farms succeed.
It would be a service to the world to get Scott Perry out of Congress, and this is a race we can win.
About PA-10:
PVI: R+3
2024 House Results: Scott Perry (R) 50.6% v. Janelle Stelson (D) 49.4%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 52.0% v. Kamala Harris (D) 46.8%
Texas
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When Trump first launched his scorched earth mid-cycle gerrymandering campaign, he started in Texas, and Congressman Vicente Gonzalez was one of his top targets. The Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, Gonzalez is no stranger to winning tight elections in South Texas, and Republicans would love to replace him with a MAGA rubber stamp.
MAGA Republicans got their rubber stamp in Eric Flores. A proponent of H.R. 1, Flores would have happily joined other Republicans to gut Medicaid and take health care away from 60,000 TX-34 residents, all to give the richest 1% a massive tax cut. Flores also loves the Trump tariffs that are hurting families across Texas, at the grocery store and on the family farm.
Texas Republicans hoped for a cakewalk when they redrew this seat, but they may have overplayed their hand. Gonzalez can win this toss up seat, and we’re prepared to do what it takes to keep TX-34 blue.
Virginia
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MAGA Congressman Rob Wittman has been in Congress for a long time, but there’s growing evidence that he’s not keeping up with his constituents. VA-01 was one of the only districts in the country where Trump lost ground from 2020 to 2024, and Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger carried VA-02 by 2.5 points in 2025. This is a race Democrats can win, and all bets are off if the courts allow redistricting to proceed this year.
About VA:01:
PVI: R+3
2024 House: Rob Wittman (R) 56.4% . Leslie Mehta (D) 43.6%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 51.7% v. Kamala Harris (D) 46.6%
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When concerned residents of VA-02 urged Rep. Jen Kiggans to hold a town hall and explain her support for the Trump Administration’s chainsaw approach to cutting critical federal programs like the Department of Education, school breakfast and lunch programs, and the VA, Kiggans responded with an insulting statement that claimed, without a shred of evidence, that they were the same people “now firebombing cars.”
It’s an outrageous accusation. If she actually hosted a town hall in her community to hear from her constituents instead of hiding from them, she would know that.
Washington
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An independent voice for southwest Washington, Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has skillfully figured out how to win an incredibly difficult district and break through the gridlock to deliver for her constituents. When she first ran for office in 2022, FiveThirtyEight gave her just a 2% chance of winning, but rumors of her defeat were greatly overstated. Since then, she’s delivered 42 important improvements to her district and has worked to lower costs for working Washington families. This is a toss up race, but Perez has proven that she’s up to any political challenge.
About WA-03:
PVI: R+2
2024 House Results: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D) 51.9% v. Joe Kent (R) 48.1%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 50.3% v. Kamala Harris (D) 47.0%
Wisconsin
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“Every American who is lawfully receiving Medicaid will continue to receive their benefits.” That’s the lie Rep. Derrick Van Orden is going with after voting to gut Medicaid by up to $880 billion.
After a veteran who worked at the VA wrote to Rep. Van Orden concerned about Trump Administration cuts to the VA that are costing many veterans their jobs, Van Orden replied to him, “I will be referring you to DOGE as it seems that at 13:46 on a Monday you should have been working for veterans, not posting trash about your boss, President Trump.”
That veteran would have loved to be working, but he was already fired by Van Orden’s boss, Donald Trump. It’s time to fire Van Orden in 2026.
About WI-03:
PVI: R+3
2024 House Results: Derrick Van Orden (R) 51.4% v. Rebecca Cooke (D) 48.6%
2024 Trump v. Harris: Donald Trump (R) 52.9% v. Kamala Harris (D) 45.5%