Red to Blue
Rojo a Azul
The key to expanding our Democratic Majority is right here — with diverse candidates like those below. Red to Blue is a highly competitive and tested program at the DCCC that equips top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them continue to run strong campaigns. Come November, these candidates and others will take on Republicans across the country — and fight to help us win back our majority.
La clave para expandir nuestra mayoría demócrata está aquí — con candidatos diversos como los de abajo. Rojo a Azul es un programa del DCCC bastante competitivo que arma a los candidatos de primer nivel con apoyo organizando para sus campañas y con la recaudación de fondos para ayudarlos a continuar desarrollando campañas fuertes. En noviembre, estos candidatos y otros más se enfrentaran a los Republicanos de la Cámara alrededor del país — y lucharán para cambiar esos escaños de Rojo a Azul.
Shomari Figures AL-02
Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Shomari Figures attended Alabama's public schools from kindergarten through law school. Following the values of service and community instilled by his parents, Shomari served under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Under President Obama, Shomari helped build out teams across federal government that implemented key Administration priorities, including the Affordable Care Act to ensure Alabamans could access quality, affordable health care. He worked at the Department of Justice in both the Obama and Biden Administrations, and also spent several years working in the United States Senate. Shomari is running for Congress to continue prioritizing the issues he has long championed: expanding healthcare and lowering costs, making our communities safer, smarter, and more vibrant, and creating good-paying jobs. Shomari is the proud husband of Dr. Kalisha Dessources Figures, a public policy consultant, champion for gender equity and former school teacher. They are the parents of three small children.
Kirsten Engel AZ-06
Kirsten Engel is a mom, an environmental attorney, and a former State Legislator who has fought for years to restore funding to public schools, protect Arizona's natural resources, and make her community safer. In the Arizona State Capitol, she built a reputation as a pragmatic leader who will roll up her sleeves to deliver results for Arizona families. Kirsten was less than 6,000 votes shy of winning this seat last cycle, and that was before Juan Ciscomani’s extreme voting record of restricting abortion access and enabling dangerous MAGA Republicans at every turn. This Biden-won district is a top pickup opportunity for Democrats this November.
Adam Gray CA-13
Adam Gray is a native son of the Valley – born and raised in Merced – so he understands firsthand the problems facing the Central Valley. As a California Assemblymember, Adam fought against the state water grab, increased funding for public safety, wrote the bill to suspend the gas tax, and paved the way for rural health care expansion at UC Merced. His strong record is why members of the law enforcement community and Republicans alike support Adam and his fight to keep our communities safe. As the Democratic nominee for Congress in CA-13 in 2022, Adam came within 564 votes of beating extremist John Duarte – one of the closest margins in the country – and he’ll finish the job in 2024.
Rudy Salas CA-22
Born and raised in the Central Valley, Rudy Salas grew up working the fields with his dad before the sun rose. As the first Latino Bakersfield City Council Member in its 112-year history, and later as a California Assemblymember, Rudy has fought for the values of hardworking families in his community. From protecting a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions and winning overtime pay for farmworkers, to lowering the price of prescription medication and voting against the gas tax, Rudy has always stood up for the Central Valley – and he’ll do the same in Washington. Rudy was the Democratic nominee for Congress in CA-22 in 2022, coming within just over 3,000 votes of unseating David Valadao – an enabler of his party’s worst impulses who speaks like a moderate while voting as an extremist.
George Whitesides CA-27
George Whitesides is a job creator who understands the needs of the Antelope Valley, the San Fernando Valley, and Santa Clarita. Over the past 20 years, George served as Chief of Staff for NASA during the Obama administration, was the first CEO of Virgin Galactic, where he created hundreds of good-paying jobs in the Antelope Valley, and supported front-line responders through his founding of Megafire Action, an organization dedicated to solving our nation’s wildfire crisis. His record stands in stark contrast to Mike Garcia’s, a MAGA Republican who has consistently failed to prioritize the interests and needs of communities in this Democratic-leaning district.
Will Rollins CA-41
Will Rollins is a former federal prosecutor who has spent his career taking on counterterrorism cases and working to keep Inland Empire residents safe. For five years, Will served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section of the National Security Division, where he helped prosecute some of the insurrectionists who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. Additionally, he helped the FBI respond to threats from ISIS, the Sinaloa cartel, and Al Qaeda terrorists. Will was the Democratic nominee for Congress in CA-41 in 2022, and significantly overperformed the fundamentals of the district, coming closer than any candidate has to unseating the 30-year incumbent Ken Calvert in over a decade – and he’ll finish the job this November.
Derek Tran CA-45
Derek Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees who fled a communist regime for the promise of the American Dream. A father of three, U.S. Army veteran, and small business owner, Derek deeply understands what’s at stake for Southern California’s working-class families – from the cost of living and prescription drugs to the threats on reproductive freedom and our democracy at large – and is well-equipped to advocate for their concerns in Congress. As a consumer rights attorney, he spent years fighting on behalf of workers getting ripped off and discriminated against by corporations – an experience that further shaped his call to service. Orange County families deserve a representative who will work for them instead of protecting special interests and playing partisan games, and Tran is equipped to deliver that message to the voters in this diverse Biden +6.8 district with a broad coalition of support, impressive fundraising apparatus, and compelling contrast with the far-right incumbent.
Dave Min CA-47
Dave Min is a long-time Orange County problem solver, first-generation Korean American, and proud product of California public schools who understands the issues Southern California families are facing. During the financial crisis, Min fought to hold Wall Street accountable and to help stabilize our economy as an enforcement attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a California State Senator representing 80% of CA-47, Min shepherded 28 bills into law – including legislation enshrining abortion rights in the California Constitution, expanding protections for domestic violence survivors, banning gun sales on state property, and leading the fight to terminate offshore drilling and address the causes of our climate crisis. In a district that has trended toward Democrats over the past few cycles, Orange County families have a proven vote-getter and common-sense champion for the middle class in Dave Min.
Adam Frisch CO-03
Adam Frisch is a local businessman who will stand up to DC politicians and fight for rural Colorado. He’s running for Congress to promote local energy production, protect Colorado’s water, expand access to health care, create jobs and defend reproductive freedom. After building a strong coalition and showing up for Coloradans in every corner of the district last cycle, Adam came within 546 votes of flipping this seat and restoring moderate, common-sense leadership for Colorado.
Christina Bohannan IA-01
Growing up in a mobile home with working-class parents, Christina Bohannan understands the struggles many Iowa families face firsthand. A mom and former Iowa state legislator, Christina is ready to protect women’s reproductive freedom, lower costs, and grow the middle class. Christina is running for Congress to get things done for Iowa families – unlike Mariannette Miller-Meeks who has become a rubber stamp for Washington special interests after winning by only 6 votes in 2020.
Lanon Baccam IA-03
Lanon Baccam is a first-generation American, born and raised in rural Iowa, who has dedicated his life to service. A combat veteran, Lanon enlisted in the Iowa National Guard when he was 17 before deploying to Afghanistan. After he returned, he worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture supporting veterans transitioning to careers in agriculture and expanding high speed internet access across Iowa and the country. While Lanon has a strong record of fighting for Iowans, Zach Nunn has embraced his party’s dysfunction and extreme anti-abortion agenda, which couldn’t be more out of step for one of the most evenly-divided districts in the country that was only decided by roughly 2,000 votes in 2022.
Curtis Hertel MI-07
Curtis Hertel has always been a trusted and relentless advocate for Mid-Michigan. In the state legislature and as Governor Whitmer’s Director of Legislative Affairs, he led the fight to pass bipartisan bills that cut taxes for seniors and middle-class families, expanded workers’ rights, and secured critical manufacturing investments that will bring good-paying jobs back to Mid-Michigan. Curtis was instrumental in repealing Michigan’s archaic 1931 law that banned abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. MI-07 is an open seat and was one of the most expensive House races in the country last cycle. In 2020, President Biden carried this seat by just a single point, and this November, Curtis will keep this highly competitive seat in Democratic hands.
Kristen McDonald Rivet MI-08
Kristen McDonald Rivet grew up in a working-class household in small-town Michigan. After becoming the first generation in her family to go to college, she dedicated her career to fighting for families like her own. In the State Senate, Kristen led the charge to pass the largest tax cut for working families in state history, repealed the 1931 abortion ban, and introduced a plan to address the growing childcare crisis. Now she’s running for Congress to level the playing field for Mid-Michiganders. Whether it's lowering the cost of groceries, housing, and prescription drugs or protecting a woman’s fundamental freedoms, Kristen will fight tirelessly so that families have more opportunities to thrive.
Monica Tranel MT-01
Monica Tranel grew up on a ranch in Montana where she helped feed pigs, stack hay, and fix fences and that work ethic led her to become a world-class rower in two Olympic games. As a lawyer, Monica spent her career holding out-of-state billionaires and corporations accountable for ripping off Montanans – saving families, ranchers, and small businesses millions of dollars. Monica is running for Congress to stand up to Washington special interests that surround her opponent, Ryan Zinke, a corrupt politician who has faced 18 investigations and has put enriching himself and his corporate donors before Montanans.
Tony Vargas NE-02
The son of working-class Peruvian immigrants, Tony Vargas has dedicated his life to serving his community as a teacher, school board member, and state senator. In the state legislature, Tony fought to expand access to health care for thousands of Nebraskans, improve education, create good-paying jobs, and bucked his party to pass two of the largest tax cuts in Nebraska history. Tony came within 6,000 votes of defeating Don Bacon in 2022, a sign that Nebraskans are fed up with Bacon’s political games and ready for Tony’s proven record of delivering for families.
Sue Altman NJ-07
Sue Altman is a proud daughter of New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. She grew up in Clinton, attended Clinton Public School and Voorhees High School, and calls Hunterdon County home. After playing college and professional basketball, Sue went on to become a teacher and successful basketball coach, leading two teams to state championships. During her time as a teacher, Sue became deeply involved in the fight for New Jersey’s schools and students. She stood up to then-Governor Chris Christie to protect teachers and fight against cuts to public education. For the last several years, Sue has been fighting for democracy and combating political corruption in Trenton, making sure government works for working people, not the political elite. Sue has seen firsthand that rising costs are making it harder for people to raise families, own homes, and retire with dignity. That’s why she’s taking her years of experience advocating for a fairer political system and running to protect New Jerseyans’ fundamental freedoms in Congress. In 2020, Biden won NJ-07 by almost 4 points and Sue is primed to flip this ultra-competitive congressional seat.
Laura Gillen NY-04
Former Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen grew up in Baldwin, and is a lifelong resident of New York’s Fourth Congressional District. A tenacious fighter and advocate for the underdog, Laura has a long history of taking on big challenges and delivering results. After college, she assisted people living with HIV/AIDS at the height of the AIDS epidemic, and worked for St. Mother Teresa’s home for the dying. An attorney, Laura worked pro bono to represent victims of domestic violence. As a working mom, Laura saw a need for problem-solving leadership and in 2017 became the first Democrat to be elected as Hempstead Town Supervisor in 112 years. As Supervisor, Laura led efforts to revitalize the town’s infrastructure and sued to recover damages for contaminants in the public water supply. The 2022 Democratic nominee in NY-04, Laura is running for Congress to take back this Biden-won seat and ensure Nassau County remains a safe and secure community where families can afford to buy a home and raise their children.
Mondaire Jones NY-17
Former Congressman Mondaire Jones was raised in Section 8 housing in Rockland County by a single mother. A former litigator for Westchester County, Mondaire defended correctional officers and helped make communities safer by taking guns away from dangerous people. Mondaire was a member of the most productive Congress in modern history, capping prescription drug costs for seniors and delivering hundreds of millions of dollars to the Lower Hudson Valley for schools, housing, and health care. He also delivered record law enforcement funding to support our police officers, staunchly defended Israel, and worked to block members of Congress from getting rich off the stock market. Now, Mondaire is running to return to Congress to finish the work he started to lower costs for everyday people, defend democracy, improve public safety, and stop Republicans from banning abortion.
Josh Riley NY-19
Josh Riley was born and raised in Endicott, New York, where his mom worked in law enforcement and his family worked in manufacturing for generations. Josh saw friends and family lose jobs while Wall Street got rich, motivating him to devote his career to fighting for working families. As an attorney and public servant, he advocated for children who needed healthcare, protected the right to vote, brought together Democrats and Republicans to fight the opioid epidemic, and held companies accountable for exploiting workers, servicemembers, and seniors. In 2022, Josh came within 1.6 points of defeating Marc Molinaro after a long redistricting process. In 2024, he’s running for Congress to take back this Biden-won seat and ensure communities across New York’s 19th Congressional District have the representation they deserve.
John Mannion NY-22
For almost 30 years, John Mannion worked as an AP Biology and Chemistry teacher at West Genesee and the Syracuse City School Districts, and advocated for teachers and students as a teachers’ union president. After nearly three decades as a public school science teacher, John decided to run for State Senate to stand up for Central New York families’ rights and opportunities, including working to secure more funding for schools. In the State Senate, John brought Democrats and Republicans together to deliver big results for families, including helping to bring Micron to Clay to create tens of thousands of jobs, advocating for organized labor, providing tax relief for hardworking families, creating the first new police department in New York in half a century, and passing laws to protect a woman’s right to choose. Now, John is running for Congress to flip New York’s 22nd Congressional District and continue fighting for women’s reproductive freedom, securing critical funding for public schools, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and keeping Central New York and Mohawk Valley families safe through bipartisan immigration reform.
Janelle Bynum OR-05
Janelle Bynum is an Oregon state legislator with a proven track record of delivering results. A small business owner, engineer, and mom of four, Janelle has been a consistent champion for Oregon families and is ready to represent the communities of the 5th District in Congress. During her four terms in the state legislature, Janelle has worked with her colleagues across the aisle to protect reproductive rights, address housing affordability, and strengthen Oregon's local economy. This past legislative session, Janelle led the push in the Oregon House to pass the Oregon CHIPS Act, which will give Oregon a competitive edge and help bring thousands of good jobs in the semiconductor industry to the state. In previous races for the Oregon State House, Janelle has twice beaten the incumbent, Lori Chavez-DeRemer – and she’ll do it again in 2024.
Ashley Ehasz PA-01
Ashley Ehasz is a U.S. Army combat veteran and a patriot. She grew up in Southeastern Pennsylvania and joined the Army at the age of 17 following 9/11. After graduating from West Point, Ashley served multiple deployments, including in Kuwait and Iraq where she flew Apache helicopters over Baghdad, defending Pennsylvanians’ fundamental freedoms abroad. Now she is running for Congress to continue the fight right here at home. Whether it’s protecting reproductive rights or defending Democracy, Ashley deeply understands what it means to be in service to the people, and won’t be another out-of-touch politician like Brian Fitzpatrick who puts their party over their constituents when it matters most.
Janelle Stelson PA-10
As an award–winning broadcast journalist, Janelle Stelson has spent her life listening and talking directly to the people of Central Pennsylvania. For nearly four decades, members of her community trusted Janelle to tell the truth, trusted her to shine a light on their problems, and trusted her to get the answers. Whether she was sitting down with small business owners, riding along with local law enforcement, or covering the rising costs of housing and health care, Janelle has told the stories of countless families across the district. Now, with basic rights and democracy under attack, Janelle is joining the fight to restore common-sense leadership and to continue being a voice for Central Pennsylvania, this time in the halls of Congress.
Michelle Vallejo TX-15
Michelle Vallejo was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley and comes from a family of farm workers, immigrants, and entrepreneurs. Her commitment to public service was driven by her mother’s 15-year-long battle with multiple sclerosis, inspiring her to advocate for more affordable and accessible health care. Michelle runs Pulga Los Portales, a local flea market and community hub with her dad, which for nearly 25 years has been serving thousands of Texans weekly and has helped dozens of working-class entrepreneurs start and run their own businesses and provide for their families. Michelle ran a strong campaign in 2022, nearly flipping this Trump district and forcing the NRCC to spend heavily. This time, voters have evidence of Monica De La Cruz’s extreme agenda that is hurting Texas families and are eager to vote her out and elect Michelle Vallejo.
Missy Cotter Smasal VA-02
Missy Cotter Smasal is a Navy veteran, former small business owner, and mom who understands the needs of Coastal Virginians. Missy’s call to public service, exemplified by her time in the Navy and the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Commission, is why she will always put country over party to get things done for veterans, active service members, and working class families. Jen Kiggans has been nothing but a rubber stamp for the MAGA agenda, voting to restrict abortion and claiming to want the same things as her “teammate” Marjorie Taylor Greene. This Biden-won district that was narrowly lost in 2022 is one of the most competitive races in the country.
Eugene Vindman VA-07
Eugene Vindman is an American hero and dedicated public servant ready to serve his country and community in a new capacity. After 25 years of service in the Army, Eugene joined the White House as the National Security Council Senior Ethics Official and blew the whistle on Donald Trump asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a personal political favor in an obvious quid pro quo. Trump’s decision to fire Eugene for coming forward didn’t deter him from looking for new ways to serve his community and his country. Eugene has stepped up once again, this time running for Virginia’s Seventh Congressional District to protect democracy, restore abortion rights, lower costs, and fight for Viriginians.
Peter Barca WI-01
Born and raised in Kenosha, Peter Barca has dedicated his life to serving Southeast Wisconsin. As a former Wisconsin State Assembly Minority Leader, Congressman, and Secretary of Revenue under Governor Evers, Peter has always gone to bat for middle class families and returned billions in tax relief to Wisconsinites. That’s exactly how he’ll lead in Congress – unlike Bryan Steil, who puts his party’s extreme agenda before Wisconsin families, including pushing to overturn Roe v. Wade and voting against lowering prescription drug costs. In Congress, Peter will continue fighting for Wisconsin families by growing the middle class, lowering costs and protecting reproductive freedom.