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STATE OF PLAY: As Congress Slips Away, GOP Drops Millions into Statehouse Races as Insurance Plan for 2028
As their odds for holding Congress shrink by the day, Republicans are rapidly increasing their investments in statehouses to cling to power and set up their return in 2028
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WASHINGTON— As Republicans grapple with the growing likelihood of losing their hold on the U.S. House along with key U.S. Senate seats, their sights—and spending—are increasing into statehouses as a critical line of defense. The latest media spend reports show Republican spending ramping up quickly, with more than $50 million of paid and reserved media spend now estimated through Election Day in key states on the DLCC’s Target Map. This spending disparity includes millions in battleground chambers Republicans control like the Wisconsin Assembly, Michigan House, and Pennsylvania Senate where Democrats are on offense this cycle. With poll after poll favoring Democrats up and down the ballot, the GOP’s best gambit is to spend big in these chambers to protect their abilities to gerrymander and undermine voting laws so they can retake the House in 2028. |
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The millions of dollars being dumped into statehouse races by Republicans underscore the importance of Democrats building state power across the country this year—and the DLCC is sounding the alarm on this huge influx of Republican cash flow in the states. State legislatures are responsible for drawing over 300 congressional districts and nearly 6,000 legislative seats. Now that the floodgates for mid-decade redistricting are wide open, every legislative race has redistricting implications. The results in our statehouses this year will likely determine who can win or hold the U.S. House majority in 2028. While momentum is on Democrats’ side, underestimating the impact of the millions of dollars in state-level spending discrepancies could be fatal to the future of Democratic majorities across the nation. Building Democratic power in state legislatures is the best path to block the Republican plot to rig the 2028 congressional map. Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement: “As the House majority slips out of reach, the GOP is throwing one final Hail Mary. Republicans know they cannot win on their record, so they’re desperately pouring millions into statehouse races to preserve the power over gerrymandering and voting laws needed to chart their path back into power in 2028. Even with Democrats’ undeniable momentum, we cannot ignore this massive influx of cash and the Republican billionaires who are desperate to snatch a last-minute victory. Everything we do in the next six weeks will decide these crucial elections, and we cannot take anything for granted. Building power at the state level has never been more important for the future of the Democratic Party and this country, and this is an all-hands-on-deck moment to support our candidates to victory.” |
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) leads the national strategy to secure Democratic power in our state legislatures. We are the campaign arm for more than 3,000 state legislators and thousands of candidates across all 50 states who are advancing Democratic values and standing up to the dangerous MAGA agenda every single day. Over the last decade, our work has flipped 10 new chamber majorities. Those new majorities have ensured Democrats in state legislatures are positioned to protect our democracy and fundamental rights, while addressing the high cost of living and advancing opportunities. The DLCC’s national strategy and target map continue to pinpoint the most efficient paths to Democratic power across all 50 states.Â