Our Political Strategy
We are experiencing serious threats to our democracy from authoritarian forces. At the same time, however, we are in a favorable electoral environment for Democrats. The likelihood of Democrats regaining control of the House of Representatives and restoring some Democratic power in 2026 is good. Therefore, our strategy for the coming election cycle has two areas of focus:
Working to elect Democrats in key races, particularly for the House, and making gains in the Senate.
Visibly demonstrating defiance against the Trump regime’s authoritarian power grab.
Electing Democrats
The outcome of the 2026 Congressional elections will significantly shape the balance of power in Washington. As the past year’s events have illustrated, when the president’s powers are unchecked by Congress, the norms of governance are discarded, and corruption and chaos undermine our institutions. Winning back the House will provide a bulwark against the actions of the president and MAGA extremists. It will also prevent further erosion of democratic institutions and norms and create Democratic momentum for winning back the Senate and the Presidency in 2028.
Over the coming year, we must put our full effort into campaigning in competitive districts across the country. Democrats have a strong chance of taking back the House because midterm elections overwhelmingly favor gains for the party out of power, and this is especially true when the President is extremely unpopular and when Americans have a negative view of the economy. But this cycle, we also need to contend with the targeted efforts of the Trump regime to make voting difficult.
Given how our electoral system works, the outcome of the midterms will be determined by the margin of victory in just a few critical districts. Congressional races are not all created equal. Decades of redistricting by politicians and self-selection by voters mean that most congressional districts are a lock for one party or the other. A Democratic candidate is simply not going to win in a district where 90% of voters supported Trump in 2024, nor will a Republican win where 90% of voters supported Harris. Time and money spent on races in either of those situations is basically wasted.
That’s why Crimson Goes Blue selects only the most competitive races, at both federal and state levels, where we can have the biggest impact. Among these, we especially target races where our members live, since we organize in-person activities (such as canvassing) to support our candidates in those locations.
Our Target Races for 2026
FEDERAL POWER
HOUSE
Our chance of flipping the House back to Democratic control is good. We must net three seats to regain the majority. Out of 435 races, approximately 40 are competitive. However, with mid-cycle redistricting, the maps are still uncertain in several states. We’ve targeted 29 races, for now, but expect some of our races will shift as a result of fundraising information, candidate quality, primary results, etc.. Across the country, there are 17 seats where Republicans are serving in districts that Biden won in 2020, making those races prime targets. Twelve of the most competitive seats are concentrated in CA and NY; and MI and PA each have 3 competitive House races.
SENATE
The most competitive Senate races are in GA, ME, MI, NC, NH, and OH. Although retaking the Senate in 2026 is unlikely (unless there’s a “blue wave”), any gains we make will chip away at the current six-seat Republican majority and position us for winning the chamber back in 2028 or 2030. And since there’s a significant overlap between presidential and Senate battleground states, Senate victories in 2026 lay the groundwork for a presidential victory in 2028.
STATE POWER
GOVERNORS
We will focus on flipping the governor's seat in GA and holding the four Democratic-held governor seats in AZ, ME, MI, and WI.
STATE HOUSES
We have identified five states (ME, MI, NC, PA, and WI) where Democratic victories will be key to holding power. In three states (ME, MI, and PA), Democrats hold a 1 or 2-seat majority in at least one chamber and are within reach of flipping the other chamber. In NC, we have the opportunity to hold enough seats, so the Republicans don’t have sufficient votes to override the Democratic governor's veto, which empowers the Democratic Governor to block the worst laws passed by the Republican legislature. In WI, Republicans currently maintain majorities in both chambers, but new maps and Democratic gains in 2024 have made a shift in control possible for the first time in over a decade.
Electoral Tactics
Direct contact with voters, such as voter registration, phone banking, and canvassing.
Strategic donations to candidates in competitive, underfunded races that can affect the balance of power in our government; organizations that register and mobilize voters; organizations that protect our elections and fight court battles against election subversion.
Voter protection efforts, including ballot curing, poll observing, hotline monitoring, as well as identifying threats to our elections.
To accomplish these tasks, we are organized into teams, each focused either on races in a specific state or on a particular method of action (phone banking, voter protection, and fundraising)
Visibly Opposing Authoritarianism
This year, our mission has expanded to include fighting authoritarianism. We believe that our participation and leadership in concerted, organized, visible public opposition is, along with regaining the House, the most effective tool we can wield against authoritarianism. Authoritarians rely on the illusion of a mandate for their power, even when only a small fraction of the population actually supports their policies. That’s why we must get out in the streets and use the power and influence we have to speak out and challenge authoritarian overreach.
To promote this strategy, our new protest team focuses specifically on encouraging and organizing our members’ participation in protests across the country.