In the quiet days after a midterm, when the final tallies were still being counted, House Majority PAC, the principal super PAC behind House Democrats, looked past the unsettled present toward the next contest. Its memo named nineteen districts it intends to contest in 2024, most of them won by Biden in 2020 and now held by Republicans. The moment reflects a familiar rhythm of democratic life, where a loss is never final and each defeat is quietly converted into a map of what might be reclaimed. New York, where the party's campaign chief lost his seat, sits at the center of that map as both wo
Democrats Eye 2024 House Comeback, Targeting 19 Districts Before Midterm Results Are Final
The party's own campaign chief lost his seat in a state that is normally deep blue.
Mark
Why would a super PAC publish a target list before the 2022 count is even finished?
Mimi
The House is effectively decided. Republicans took control last Wednesday, and they're at 220 seats to 212. Only three races remain uncalled, so the PAC is looking ahead.
Mark
What stands out in the list itself?
Mimi
Sixteen of the 19 districts went for Biden in 2020 but are now held by Republicans. Three more voted Trump but are described as in play.
Luke
Worth noting that "in play" is the PAC's own description. The memo is advocacy, and it says outright the list is initial and not comprehensive.
Mark
And New York?
Mimi
Six targets are there. Republicans flipped four seats in the state, and Sean Patrick Maloney, who chairs the DCCC, lost.
Luke
The reporting says New York was a weak spot, but it doesn't explain why. That's unknown from this piece.
Mark
Are there other seats where incumbents lost?
Mimi
Yes: Luria in Virginia's 2nd, Malinowski in New Jersey's 7th, and Axne in Iowa's 3rd.
Luke
Naming a district as a target isn't a prediction of winning it. And nothing here says how much money the PAC will spend.
El Pulso
- Republicans have claimed the House by a razor-thin margin, with 220 seats to Democrats' 212 and three races still uncalled.
- House Majority PAC moved within days of the GOP takeover, naming 19 targets before the final count was even settled.
- Six of the targets sit in New York, where Republicans flipped four seats and Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the DCCC chair, was ousted.
- Democrats are already reading the map for a comeback, calling the list 'initial' and hinting that more districts will be added.
- Sixteen of the targeted seats backed Biden in 2020, making the 2024 fight a test of whether suburban and urban losses can be reversed.
In the quiet days after a midterm, when the final tallies were still being counted, House Majority PAC, the principal super PAC behind House Democrats, looked past the unsettled present toward the next contest. Its memo named nineteen districts it intends to contest in 2024, most of them won by Biden in 2020 and now held by Republicans. The moment reflects a familiar rhythm of democratic life, where a loss is never final and each defeat is quietly converted into a map of what might be reclaimed. New York, where the party's campaign chief lost his seat, sits at the center of that map as both wound and opportunity.
On Tuesday, with several House races from November still unresolved, House Majority PAC released a memo naming the districts it plans to fight for in 2024. The super PAC backing House Democrats sent it less than a week after Republicans had secured control of the chamber, and Axios was the first to report it.
The list includes nineteen seats. The PAC describes it as "initial, but not comprehensive," which leaves room for more names. Sixteen of the districts voted for Biden in 2020 and are now in Republican hands, while three backed Trump and are still considered in play.
New York carries the heaviest weight. Six of the targets are there, after Republicans flipped four seats earlier in the month. The defeat of Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, stung especially, since the party's own campaign chief lost in a state that usually leans strongly blue.
The broader night had been better for Democrats than many forecasts predicted, and the feared red wave never fully materialized. New York was the exception, the place where the party's hopes fell short. The memo also marks seats where sitting Democrats were ousted, including Virginia's 2nd, New Jersey's 7th, and Iowa's 3rd, all now on the list to win back.
With Republicans at 220 seats to Democrats' 212 and three races still uncalled by the Associated Press, the margin is narrow. The PAC chose not to wait for the final count. What comes next is how the list grows and how Democrats approach New York, where most of the targets now sit.
On Tuesday, with a handful of November's House races still unresolved, House Majority PAC sent out a memo naming the districts it intends to fight for in 2024. The group is the main super PAC backing House Democrats, and the memo was first reported by Axios. It came less than a week after Republicans clinched control of the chamber.
The list has 19 districts. The PAC calls it an "initial, but not comprehensive" list, so more names could follow. Sixteen of the 19 voted for President Biden in 2020 but are now held by Republicans. The other three voted for former President Trump, and the PAC describes them as still "in play."
New York accounts for six of the targets, more than any other state named in the reporting. Republicans flipped four House seats there earlier this month, and one loss carried particular weight: Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, was defeated. The party's own campaign chief lost his seat in a state that is normally deep blue.
New York stood out because Democrats did better elsewhere than most forecasts had suggested. The widely anticipated "red wave" did not arrive, and the party's overall showing beat expectations. New York was the weak point in an otherwise better-than-feared night.
The memo also points at seats where Republicans ousted sitting Democrats this year. In Virginia's 2nd District, Rep. Elaine Luria lost to Jen Kiggans. In New Jersey's 7th, Rep. Tom Malinowski lost to Thomas Kean Jr. In Iowa's 3rd, Rep. Cindy Axne lost to Zach Nunn. Each is on the PAC's list of places to try to win back.
The Republican majority is narrow. Republicans took control of the House last Wednesday and have since raised their total to 220 seats, against 212 for Democrats. The Associated Press has not called three seats. Those results will settle the exact margin, but the PAC has not waited for them.
The next step is to watch how the list grows beyond this first version, and how Democrats approach New York, where six of the 19 targets are concentrated.
Citas Notables
The list is described as an "initial, but not comprehensive" set of 2024 targets.— House Majority PAC memo
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