House Republicans have added seven Democrat-held districts to their midterms target list, signaling growing confidence that the GOP can expand its razor-thin House majority despite the historical headwinds facing the president's party.
The National Republican Congressional Committee announced Monday that it is expanding its offensive battlefield by adding Alabama's 2nd District, Florida's 14th and 22nd districts, Louisiana's 6th District, Missouri's 5th District, Ohio's 1st District, and Tennessee's 9th District to its list of top pickup opportunities.
The additions bring the NRCC's total target list to 36 Democrat-held seats nationwide.
"Vulnerable House Democrats are stuck defending a wildly unpopular record and a radical socialist agenda," NRCC Chair Richard Hudson said in a statement.
"The NRCC will take the fight into their districts, hold every one of them accountable, and expand our House majority in November," he added.
According to the NRCC, Republicans believe the political map favors the GOP.
The committee noted that 23 Democrats are running in districts President Donald Trump carried in 2024, with 21 of those districts giving Trump more than 50% of the vote.
By comparison, only eight Republicans are defending seats won by former Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Washington Examiner reported that several of the newly targeted districts became more competitive following recent redistricting changes, including Louisiana's 6th District, represented by Rep. Cleo Fields, D-La., and Tennessee's 9th District, where longtime Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., is retiring after Republicans redrew the Memphis-area map.
Florida's 22nd District also became an open seat after redistricting reshaped South Florida's congressional boundaries.
The expanded target list comes as Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., continues an aggressive fundraising effort.
He said that Republicans are united around an "America First" agenda.
"This is not our father's Democrat Party," Johnson said recently. "We're in a philosophical war to save the greatest nation in history."
Republicans acknowledge they face the traditional challenge of defending House seats during a president's first midterm election.
Recent public polling has shown Democrats with a narrow edge on the generic congressional ballot, fueled by higher enthusiasm among left-leaning voters.
Still, GOP strategists believe favorable district lines, record fundraising, and Trump's continued strength in many battleground districts provide a pathway not only to protect the Republican majority but to grow it.
The NRCC's latest move reflects that optimism as Republicans prepare to pour resources into dozens of competitive races, aiming to capitalize on districts they believe remain receptive to Trump's economic and border security message heading into November.